A Tale Or Two
by SmurfLuvsCookies
Summary: Sometimes, Lucy can't help but think that she's caught in the middle of a bunch of fairy tales; then again, she is traveling the country with a Fire Dragonslayer and his flying blue cat. At this point anything is possible. AU. Cover art by Cavallo Alato.
1. The Catalyst

_Hey there! This is my third published story for Fairy Tail. **Everything in this story is pre S-class Exams**. If you've read that far, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't, I don't want to ruin the surprise for you. ;) This story is __basically Lucy's and Natsu's adventures in a parallel universe where the arcs resemble classic fairy tales. I hope you enjoy it!_

_**Disclaimer****:** Fairy Tail belongs entirely to Hiro Mashima, not to me._

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><p><strong>I. The Catalyst<strong>

Once upon a time, in a part of the globe unmapped by cartographers and envisaged by sailors, there resided a hidden peninsula country known by its inhabitants as Fiore. It was a peaceful land, brimming with magic and mystery, ruled by King Jude Heartphilia and his beautiful queen, Layla. The citizens of Fiore loved their monarchs, who were much celebrated and rejoiced.

They lived in great happiness for many years, until one evening Layla returned from a stroll through the castle gardens looking very gloomy. The king, unnerved by her sorrow, asked, "What's wrong, my dear?"

"The kitchen maids, look at them," she said hollowly, gesturing to a merry young woman as she polished the banister, whistling a lullaby. "Look at how happy they are. They have little babies to take care of, families to love. I want a child."

King Jude was shocked, but after much consideration decided that a son would be good for his kingdom. He would, after all, need an heir to his throne.

The royal couple tried for many months, but no sign of a child came to Layla's attention. With each passing day she spiraled deeper into her depression, until she grew pale and sickly, racked by savage headaches and most days refusing to get out of bed. The king was distraught and sought out the greatest healers in Fiore to cure his wife.

Healer after healer said that there was nothing they could do. Even the elusive Witch of the East Forest, Porlyusica, sighed in disappointment and shook her head as she inspected the ailing queen.

"She is simply depressed," Porlyusica diagnosed, standing. "There is no cure except for her happiness to be restored. Her yearning for a child brought this on, you say? Then a child she must have."

"That can't be the only solution!" the king cried, tired of hearing these words. "There has to be some kind of medication she can take to make her feel better!"

"There's nothing I know of, but perhaps I can try and invent something," Porlyusica sighed, mainly to soothe King Heartphilia's rage. She knew that there was little she could do to battle a depression this progressed. If the queen's life force dimmed any further, she would die.

"You just want more money!" King Jude accused spitefully. "Get out of my sight, evil witch! I need a healer who knows what they're talking about!"

Porlyusica's face turned red. "I don't want your filthy money! This is why I hate humans, ungrateful, greedy, irrational animals, that's what you are!"

"How dare you insult me!" King Jude screeched. "I am the King of Fiore! Guards, take this witch to the dungeons!"

"Stop!"

Everyone turned to look at Queen Heartphilia, who was struggling to sit up on her elbows. The king rushed forward to help her, hovering anxiously. He had not heard her speak in several days; the sound of her voice, even upset like this, was music to his ears.

"Guards, release this woman immediately," Layla ordered. A few guards hesitantly loosened their grip on Porlyusica. Some turned to the king, who was technically the one supposed to be giving them orders. He was too absorbed with his wife, so they did as they were told by the respected queen.

Porlyusica pursed her lips at Layla, peering at her calmly over the rim of her square spectacles as beads of perspiration formed on the queen's brow. Even sitting up was becoming an effort. Nevertheless, Layla pulled herself into an upright position and gave Porlyusica a regal stare, fair and kind. But the witch could plainly see that Queen Heartphilia's brown eyes were as dark and hollow as earthen tunnels.

"I'm sorry for my husband's rash behavior, madam," Layla said. "Thank you for coming all this way to see me, even if there is nothing you can do."

"...Well," Porlyusica said after a long pause. "There is something I can do, but it is very dangerous. I am reluctant to tell you of it, but it seems I have no choice.

"There is no antidote for depression, as I've already informed you. However, the direct cause of your particular depression, the lack of a child in the household, does have a solution. I know of a physick that, when consumed, will give you almost one hundred percent certainty of conceiving a child for one night."

Queen Heartphilia, for the first time in months, looked hopeful. The king swallowed nervously; Layla wanted a child more than anything, but the witch had warned them it was dangerous.

"What's the catch?" he asked Porlyusica suspiciously.

"The first thing is that the potion requires rampion, which is only grown in the personal garden of Sir Jose Porla, in Phantom Lord Castle. I must warn you, in my experience Jose has not been kind nor understanding, and he will push you to your limit when it comes to payment. He doesn't wish for money. He only seeks power. I don't recommend giving it to him."

"Surely we can grow rampion here," Layla said.

"No. It only grows in Phantom Lord Castle. And even if you did somehow find a way to grow it here, you would still need the seeds from Jose," Porlyusica pointed out.

"I'm sure we'll work something out," King Heartphilia hastily assured in an attempt to cheer up his wife. Bargaining with some old fart wouldn't be a problem. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes," Porlyusica said solemnly. "My queen, you are very weak and childbirth is no walk in the park. The chances of you surviving are slim, and even if you do you will never be truly healthy for the rest of your life. Are you sure you want to risk it?"

"I just want a baby," Layla insisted, staring into her husband's eyes and begging him to understand. "My life won't be complete without a child anyway, so I'm willing to take the risk."

"Very well," Porlyusica said primly, picking up her medical bag. "I will take my leave, then. Bring me the rampion in three days' time, and I will have the physick ready the day after."

Layla clasped the king's hands tightly in her own, smiling breathlessly. "Can you believe it, dear? We're going to have a baby!"

The king could only muster a forced smile and nodded his head. He couldn't bring himself to say that no kid was worth Layla's life, not after seeing her sunny smile for the first time in weeks.


	2. The Rampion

_So, just by the first chapter, can you guess the fairy tale? If not, continue reading. I know Lucy and Natsu haven't come up yet, but they will soon. This is kind of a backstory._

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><p><strong>II. The Rampion<strong>

The very next morning, King Jude Heartphilia rode out to Phantom Lord Castle to discuss matters concerning the rampion with Sir Jose Porla. But, not wanting to pay a fortune for the rampion, the king decided to go disguised as a poor peasant.

It was a day's journey from Acalypha to Oak Town on the reliable but slow mule that the king had chosen for the trek. Phantom Lord Castle was dark and ominous, huge even by King Heartphilia's standards. Twenty foot brick walls topped with iron spikes surrounded the entire perimeter, but through the delicate curlicues of the gates he saw a flourishing garden made up of bizarre plants that he had never laid eyes on before.

Just as a dull drizzle started pouring down, the gates opened and a swaying figure came into view. It was a slim, springy man with a monocle, who appeared so suddenly that King Heartphilia had first thought he'd sprouted right out of the ground.

"Salut, monsieur! Are you, perhaps, lost?"

"No, sir. I've come to see Sir Jose Porla of Phantom Lord Castle," the king replied steadily, though the man's strange appearance disturbed him.

"You've come to see Monsieur Jose? Non, non, non." The man shook his head, twisting his thin green mustache between his thumb and forefinger. "Monsieur Jose is busy, he can not see anybody right now. Perhaps you will come back later, oui?"

"Please, sir, I've traveled very far to see Sir Jose," the king persisted. "If I could just talk to him for one moment..."

"Non, non, non," the man interrupted, shaking his head so vehemently that his body was swaying with the movement. "I am a gentleman, monsieur, so I will tell you once again that Monsieur Jose will not be seeing you today. Come back some other time. Adieu."

"Please, it's important, I have payment - "

"I said, 'adieu,'" the man repeated dangerously, glaring at King Heartphilia. "Don't make me say it again, or I'm afraid I will have to force you off of Phantom Lord property."

The king scowled from under his hood, angered. Sir Jose was obviously not going to see some peasant man, no matter how far or long he'd come to get to the castle, but perhaps he would make an exception for the King of Fiore.

He straightened up on his mule and pushed back the hood of his shabby cloak so that the man could see his face. "I am King Jude Heartphilia, and I demand that you take me to Sir Jose Porla immediately," he boomed. The man's eyes widened with recognition.

"Mon Dieu," he whispered. Then he contorted himself into an impossible bow. "I am very sorry, King Heartphilia, I will inform Monsieur Jose that you wish to speak with him. Please, follow me into the castle. Monsieur Totomaru will take your mule to the stables."

A man with a torch blazing with - King Heartphilia shuddered - black fire that flickered on even when assaulted by the rain came forth and took the reigns of the mule, leading him down a cobblestone path that seemed to curve around the castle.

The first man, who informed the king that he was named Sol, lead him down a straight path through the garden and towards the glossy black doors of the castle. There was a large sign that read "Phantom Lord" in spiky, foreboding letters bolted above the door.

"Monsieur Jose doesn't like trespassers," Sol explained with a small smile, opening one of the heavy black doors and gesturing the king inside.

The interior of the castle was about as quaint as the outside suggested. There was an echoing, cold emptiness about the place that sent shivers down King Heartphilia's spine. It was very different from his own castle, Love and Lucky.

There was a roaring fire - with normal flames, King Heartphilia was happy to see - crackling in a huge fireplace, which was stationed between two graceful staircases of black marble. There was an assortment of sleek chairs that Sol urged the king to rest on while he went to find Sir Jose.

Moments after the king was warm and sipping tea that a maid named Sue had delivered, Sir Jose made his arrival. He was a tall man with a sinister mustache and long dark hair, dressed as extravagantly as a king. He slowly descended down the marble staircase, his shoes making a distinct click every time he stepped. Sol bounded behind him at a respectable distance, followed closely by a hulking man who, although he was blindfolded, never missed a step.

"I'm terribly sorry for my butler's incompetence, Your Majesty," Jose began suavely, cascading into a graceful bow. "I'm a busy man, so I'm often forced to turn people away. But I will gladly put a hold on whatever I am doing to loyally serve Fiore's beloved king."

King Heartphilia told Jose about his wife's predicament and about Porlyusica's solution, finally concluding with his need for the rampion. Jose was deep in thought by the time the story was over, stroking his mustache and tapping his foot. The blindfolded man, King Heartphilia noticed, was still standing in attention although Sol had long disappeared.

"Well, I will certainly give you the rampion," Jose said finally, snapping his fingers. Sol sprung into the room once again, coming to an abrupt stop beside his master.

"What can I do for you, monsieur?"

"Get me one - no, two - heads of rampion out of the garden, wrap them up, and bring them here for the king."

"Yes, monsieur."

Jose addressed King Heartphilia once again after Sol was out of earshot. "Now, as I'm sure you know, my services don't come free. I have a price for the rampion, you know."

"Name it," the king said.

"I have one offer, and one offer only," Jose warned. "If you don't like the deal, I won't give you the rampion."

The king nodded, though he considered this very unfair. He, as a customer, should have the right to bargain, didn't he?

"First thing's first," Jose began, "do you wish for a prince or a princess?"

"A prince," the king said automatically. "One who will rule Fiore with an iron fist yet still be fair."

"Very well," Jose said. "I am giving you two heads of rampion, meaning this: if the witch uses both heads in her potion, your wife will give birth to twins. One will be a boy, the other will be a girl.

"As you can see, my castle is very hallow without the sweet presence of a child to fill it's halls with laughter," Jose said, suddenly switching off topic. "I don't have a wife, I'm much too busy. Therefore, when _your_ wife gives birth to that darling little princess, you will bring the girl to me and I will keep her as my own."

"What?" King Heartphilia cried. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid that I can't make that decision. My wife will never stand for it."

"That's just it; the queen doesn't have to know," Jose said. "When the midwife takes the twins in to be inspected, you will pay her off and she will tell the queen that one of them has died. You will then bring the baby to me, under the pretext of burying her body."

The king gaped at Jose's polite, patient smile as he waited for an answer. Lie to his wife? Kidnap his own child? King Heartphilia wasn't sure he was capable of such dastardly deeds; until, of course, he remembered Layla's sallow face, giving a now rare smile at the thought of giving birth to a child, a child that the king honestly didn't even want.

"Very well," he agreed, shaking Jose's cold, dry hand. "When Layla gives birth, you will have the girl twin."

Sol came in and gave a grinning Jose the rampion, wrapped up in a cloth. He placed the leafy heads into the king's trembling hands with a devilish glint in his eye.

"A pleasure doing business with you, Your Majesty."


	3. Loke and Lucy

_Thanks to all those who reviewed! The first couple chapters of a story are always the slowest, and it should pick up from here on out. **Warning**: This chapter contains some violence._

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><p><strong>III. Loke and Lucy<strong>

Porlyusica pursed her lips when the king insisted that she make a change to the recipe and put the two heads of rampion in, but she did so nevertheless after he explained that he wanted to surprise his wife with twins. The physick looked like thick, green goop, but the queen took it without hesitation, downing the entire glass in one faithful gulp.

The next month, Porlyusica informed her that she was pregnant.

"I will be overseeing your entire pregnancy," she assured as she ran her fingers along Layla's belly. "Just to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible."

Nine months passed in a blur. Layla's joy grew and swelled along with her belly, until finally the castle was once again bursting with rays of sunny warmth cast by her smiles and laughter. It was as if Fiore itself had given a huge sigh of relief - their queen was happy, she was going to be okay.

It seemed as if the citizens of Fiore was just as excited about the baby as Layla. They came from near and far, baring gifts for the heir to the throne. Soon the throne room was piled high with toys and clothes, blankets and cribs, even a small white Canis Major dog, whom Layla named Nikora.

Sir Jose Porla also sent a gift - a serious, pink-haired nurse who went by the name Virgo. When the queen wasn't looking, she handed King Heartphilia a note:

_Your Majesty,_  
><em>Virgo is the most renowned maid and nurse in Fiore, whom I purchased recently from Duke Everlue. She is the only other person besides the royal family suitable, in my humble opinion, to care for the Prince of Fiore. Think of her as a birthday gift for the prince.<em>  
><em>Don't forget our deal -<em>

_Sir Jose Porla_  
><em>Phantom Lord Castle, Oak Town<em>

The king quickly stuffed the note in his pocket and burned it when he returned to his office.

The truth was, King Heartphilia found his resolve thinning every time Layla came back from a visit from Porlyusica brandishing news that the baby was healthy. He'd told the witch not to inform Layla of the excess rampion, because he wanted it to be a surprise when she gave birth to twins. His behavior seemed to only make Porlyusica suspicious, and he highly doubted that she would let the babies out of her sight until they made it safely into the queen's arms. They both knew that once Layla had possession of them, the king wouldn't have the heart to steal even one from her.

One day, they were walking in the front courtyard, admiring the garden, when Layla asked, "What do you think we should name the baby, dear? He or she is due any day now, and we still haven't come up with any ideas for a name."

"What do you like?" the king inquired.

"I like the name Loke for a boy," she said thoughtfully. "It sounds kind of like 'lucky,' don't you think?" At that they both turned towards the sign above the doors of the castle, which read "Love and Lucky." Or it was supposed to, at least. The 'k' in 'Lucky' had mysteriously vanished, leaving their castle "Love and Lucy."

"We should really get that fixed," the king pursued.

"Wait, Jude! Don't you see? This is literally a sign!" Layla squealed excitedly, beaming at the sign. "We should name our daughter Lucy!"

"Loke or Lucy." The king tried the names out on his tongue. Unfortunately, he thought, Layla and Lucy would never meet. "I love it. If it's a boy, we shall name him Loke, and if it's a girl, we'll name her Lucy."

The queen suddenly gasped, clutching her abdomen. King Heartphilia hovered anxiously, asking her what was wrong. But Layla just grinned at him through the small twinge of pain. "They were waiting until we settled on a name," she giggled as Virgo came rushing out to escort her to Porlyusica's room. "It's time! We're going to have a baby!"

Five hours of labor later, the first twin, a boy, was finally squirming in the arms of Porlyusica. Once she realized that the second twin was well on it's way, she quickly handed Loke over to Virgo and assessed the situation as Layla pushed.

Finally, ten minutes later, Lucy was born.

There was a moment of supreme joy; Layla was elated that she had two children, King Heartphilia melted at the sight of her smile, Porlyusica was glad the children were safe, and even Virgo seemed cheerful. She carried the two bundles, one blue, one pink, over to a sweaty, exhausted Layla and deposited them in her arms.

"My babies..." she cooed. "Loke and Lucy Heartphilia, my babies..."

The king sighed when he saw the look in her eyes, soft and gentle and filled with the utmost love and affection. There was no way that Layla would ever get over the death of Lucy, and there was no way that King Heartphilia could take the princess away from her mother.

Suddenly, Virgo groaned, clutched her head, and began to transform, to triple in size, the buttons popping from her dress, her face contorting and becoming as ugly as a troll's. Porlyusica's eyes were wide with shock, and Layla screamed, hugging her babies possessively. A cackling electricity entered the air; a magical aura, a very powerful one.

"Jose," Porlyusica whispered.

Virgo roared and grasped at the ceiling, which her head was bumping into now. The enameled brick crumbled easily in her meaty hands, revealing a cyclone of swirling dark Shades. The three of them stared in horror as Jose dropped casually into the room, landing squarely on the shoulder of his henchwoman-Virgo.

"You've broken our deal, Your Majesty," he said solemnly, giving the king a look of great dislike. "I'm afraid I must take action in receiving my payment, now."

He snapped his fingers, and Virgo reached for the queen. Porlyusica stepped in front of her and began muttering incantations, her red eyes glowing with magic. Jose merely laughed.

"My dear witch, you didn't think that this lumbering ape was the only reinforcement I brought along, did you?" he inquired mockingly with a glance at Virgo, snapping his fingers once again. The blindfolded man that King Heartphilia had seen in Phantom Lord Castle dropped into the room obediently at his master's side.

"Aria, do it now," Jose ordered.

The great blindfolded man clapped his hands together, tears streaming down his face. "Metsu!" he sobbed miserably.

Porlyusica froze and swooned into a faint. The king caught her before she could hit the ground, glaring at Jose and Aria, who was still choked with remorse.

"What did you do to her?" Layla cried, as she had grown quite fond of Porlyusica and her prudish ways over the past months.

"She is simply drained of magical power, that's all," Jose said gently to the queen, stepping off of Virgo's shoulder. "She'll regain consciousness eventually, don't you worry. I try not to kill when I can avoid it."

"What are you doing here?" Layla asked, shielding Loke and Lucy from Jose with her body.

"Well, as I said before, I'm just making sure I collect my payment for the rampion," Jose explained, grinning sadistically at King Heartphilia. "I had Virgo bewitched to turn into this form whenever the king thought about backing out of our deal. I had a feeling that he would."

"Deal? What deal?" the queen asked frantically, glancing at her husband out of the corner of her eye, but not daring to look away from Jose. She'd never bothered to ask what the rampion had cost; she'd been too excited to have it in the first place.

"I'll let the king explain," Jose said. "Just give me the princess, and no one will get hurt."

"You will not touch my wife!" King Heartphilia said fiercely, standing between Layla and Jose. "And you will not take my daughter or son! I will give you any amount of money you want, but you will not harm a hair on their heads!"

"Very well, there is only one alternative," Jose considered. "If you don't want me to take the girl, then you must renounce your throne and make me King of Fiore."

"Never!" the king hissed.

"Fine," Jose said stiffly, "Virgo, get the king out of my way."

Virgo reached for the king and plucked him right into the air, keeping a grasp on him despite his struggles. Layla, who was still weak from childbirth, hugged Loke and Lucy so hard that they began to cry.

"Just hand her over," Jose coaxed, reaching for Lucy. "I don't want to hurt you..."

When his hand was in reach, Layla bit it.

Jose yelped and nursed his bleeding hand, glaring savagely at the queen. He reached back and slapped her hard across the face, causing the helpless king to roar in outrage. Virgo seemed to freeze, unnerved slightly by this violence. She shook her head as if to clear it, but Jose didn't notice.

"Give me the princess!" he growled, snatching a wailing Lucy out of Layla's arms. The queen reached for her and tried to get her back, but between the pain of standing and juggling Loke in her arms, she couldn't grab her in time.

"Lucy!" Layla screamed. "Give her back! Lucy!"

Suddenly, Virgo's meaty hand plucked Jose off the ground and into the air along with King Heartphilia. She held him in front of her face, surveying him closely with her ugly, squinty eyes. He stared back, aghast.

"Give her back," Virgo grunted, lowering Jose so that he was directly in front of the queen. Jose couldn't believe it; his spell had broken! Virgo was listening to Layla, not him! Enraged, the Shades swirling outside dove into the house and attacked Virgo. She swatted them away, releasing the king and Jose.

"Aria, let's go!" Jose commanded. Aria, bawling at the sorrow of it all, took his master and disappeared.

The room became peaceful, and the Shades dissipated as well. Moonlight streamed in from the whole in the ceiling, casting an eerie glow over Porlyusica's sickly-still body, splayed across the floor. Virgo was swatting the last of the Shades away; King Heartphilia was shakily getting to his feet, disbelief on all of his features.

Layla let out a terrible sob, folding herself around her remaining child. The king rushed to her side, but she did not want him to hold her.

"Find our daughter!" she shrieked hysterically, causing Loke to erupt into a new series of cries. "Find Lucy before it's too late!"

The guards rammed through the door then, looking as though they had just emerged from a battlefield. "There were demons in the castle!" the Captain said wildly, looking about with wide eyes. "We couldn't get here in time, Your Majesty!"

"The princess has been kidnapped," King Heartphilia said darkly. "Find Sir Jose Porla of Phantom Lord Castle and bring him and the princess here. Now!"

The guards scurried out of the room to follow orders, glancing back at Virgo in bewilderment, but the king had a feeling that it was already too late.


	4. Tower Of Stone, Heart Of Gold

**IV. Tower Of Stone, Heart Of Gold**

Seventeen long years passed.

The soldiers went to Oak Town in search of Sir Jose Porla, but when they arrived to what used to be Phantom Lord Castle they discovered that the building had been uprooted from the ground, and there was nothing left but a crater. They searched high and low in the country of Fiore, with no results. They finally concluded that he'd taken Princess Lucy and sailed to one of the many smaller islands surrounding Fiore, which they had no jurisdiction over. In the end, Jose just became another face on the Most Wanted List.

Porlyusica eventually gained back most of her magical power, which she used to free Virgo of her bewitchment so that the dedicated nurse could take care of Prince Loke. Then she returned to her house in the forest, never contacting the royal family again.

Searches for Princess Lucy continued strongly throughout the country, but eventually died down when they began to see that they would never find her. The queen grew more and more distraught every time she heard that there was a sighting of the princess or her abductor; eventually King Heartphilia prohibited the saying of Lucy's name. She was to be addressed only as Rapunzel within the walls of the castle, unbeknownst to the queen.

Layla, though she loved Loke with all of her heart, never did get over the loss of Lucy. When she discovered the truth behind her capture, it formed a permanent wedge between her and her husband. The king immersed himself in his work, hardly even speaking to his family.

Ten years later, Layla died.

The king worked even more ferociously, leaving ten-year-old Loke under the supervision of Virgo, who, gradually, returned to her human form. King Heartphilia grew ill-tempered and miserly, and Fiore began to speak out against him. When Prince Loke became fifteen, the age that he was eligible to take the throne, he resigned his rights to be heir and turned his back on his father. It ruined King Heartphilia; the Justine family, cousin to the king and his only living relatives, took the throne.

Of course, Lucy knew nothing about this. She knew not that she was a princess, nor that she had a twin brother, or that she had been kidnapped at all.

Jose had been working quite tirelessly since his grand abduction of the princess. Phantom Lord Castle had been relocated and resided, quite like Porlyusica's home, in the East Forest. He enchanted it so that only his comrades would be able to find it, and he kept Lucy there until she was old enough to think of running away. He grew worried then, when she asked about what lie outside the forest. Lucy had such an uncanny resemblance to her mother that whoever saw her would know immediately who she was.

So he constructed a tower, seven stories high without stairs or doors, only a window at the very top with a hook. He stowed Lucy away up there, explaining that she was too precious for other people to see. He told her that if someone saw her, she was so beautiful they'd want to take her away. Then he cast a spell upon her hair so that it grew long enough to brush the ground when Lucy stuck her head out of the window and became as strong as rope.

Lucy was not happy with this arrangement, but she was obedient enough for her caretaker. She passed her days with reading and writing, as well as brushing and braiding her long, golden hair. Her only companion was a Canis Major dog that she'd named Plue; the same dog that Layla had named Nikora, who had somehow hitched a ride on Aria's back whenever they made their exit. She talked to Plue when she was lonely, which was often.

That bright July morning was sultry and hot, much to Lucy's displeasure. Her golden hair was heavy on her neck like a thick blanket. She spent the morning braiding it before Jose got there, but even then it was much too long and heavy to pin up on the top of her head.

"I have half a mind to chop it all off, Plue," she complained, flopping down on her luxurious bed. Though the tower was isolated, it wasn't at all shabby. Jose spared no expense when it came to Lucy's comfort; she was sure that it was because he thought she would run away otherwise.

Plue wobbled around the room, panting in the heat and oblivious to the fact that Lucy'd said the same exact thing yesterday, and the day before that. The only time that Lucy was ever grateful for her full head of golden hair was when winter rolled around and the tower was frigid, as she had no fireplace.

"I don't understand why I can't just live in the castle with Jose," she continued, blowing the damp strands of hair from her face. "At least there he has air conditioning and a fire in the winter. It's not like he gets visitors anyway, so no one is going to see me, right?"

Plue didn't reply; he flopped down on the floor, unconscious.

Lucy sighed tragically, throwing an arm over her eyes. "My exquisite beauty is a curse, Plue. But it's one that I must live with."

Suddenly, she heard Jose's voice wafting from the ground.

"Let down your hair, so that I may climb that golden stair!"

Lucy grumbled and got out of bed, winding her long braid around her arm. She threw open the shutters and fastened her braid on the hook, not daring to look down. Though Lucy had no particular fear of heights, seven stories was still a long way to fall. She let the braid go and felt Jose's weight on her head as he climbed up. Gritting her teeth, she waited until he finally was inside. Why did he have to climb up _this _way?

Jose scrambled inside like an over-sized spider, straightening his jacket. Lucy pulled her hair back into the tower, watching it coil around their feet.

"How are you this morning?" Jose said cheerfully, grinning at Lucy as he made his way over to the chair next to Lucy's pile of books. He flopped down and put his feet up on them; Lucy winced involuntarily.

"Fine," she said, grabbing her hair and dragging it along the floor so that she could sit down on her bed. "Why are you in such a good mood this morning?"

"Because, I've finally done it!" Jose said, a light sparking in his eye. "Soon, you will be able to leave this tower for good. Isn't that exciting?"

Lucy smiled. "That's great! What did you do? When can I leave?"

"Now, that's no concern to you; we'll just say you can leave soon, hm? I figured I'd come and tell you right away. But I can't stay long today," Jose sighed, "I'm a very busy man. Perhaps I'll come tomorrow to make up for it."

"Okay," said Lucy.

"Here's some food, I figured you were low," Jose continued, handing her a box full of delicacies that his kitchen had cooked up. "Wouldn't want you to starve, would we?"

"No," Lucy said uncomfortably, setting the food down. Jose stepped over Plue carelessly; Lucy quickly took some water from the box and filled up a bowl, setting it in front of the dog. He roused himself and feebly took it in his hands, tipping his head back.

"Alright, lower me down then," Jose ordered, waiting impatiently by the window. "The quicker I get back to work the quicker you can get out of here."

Lucy held back a sigh as she dragged her hair back over to the window and tied it around the hook, letting it drop to the ground. If she'd known Jose was going to leave after such a short visit, she wouldn't have even untied it.

Jose grabbed her hair and lithely dropped down, kicking off of the tower walls. Lucy reigned her hair back in when she felt him let go, stiffling the sad feeling bubbling into her chest. Though Jose wasn't great company, he was still a person to talk to. The prospect of sitting in her tower for the rest of the day doing nothing but brushing her hair was melancholy at it's finest.

But when she looked in the food box, she found that Jose had left her a rare treat - a new novel to read. With the outlook of her day suddenly much better, she sat down on the chair that Jose had just vacated and cracked the book open to the first page, her loneliness momentarily forgotten.


	5. The Traveler

**V. The Traveler**

Natsu covered his mouth when he felt his breakfast lurch out of his stomach. Never again. Never again would he let Happy convince him to ride a horse.

"Sorry, Natsu," the blue cat said as he walked beside his sickly friend, "I didn't think that riding a horse would make you throw up, since you're okay whenever I carry you."

Natsu couldn't say anything; the extent of his motion sickness, usually triggered by transportation like ships and carriages, was so bad that it lasted a few seconds after he got off. The horses grazed in a pasture just a few steps away, their owner shaking his head as he watched the strange pink-haired boy and his cat walk into the forest.

"You know, we're never going to find Igneel if we have to walk everywhere," Happy continued, hopping over a tree root. "You're going to have to get over your motion sickness eventually."

Natsu knew that Happy was right, but he wouldn't give him credit for it.

Sightings of a red monster had been reported around here, and Natsu was convinced that it was the great Fire Dragon, Igneel. He'd been looking for Igneel his entire life, practically; the dragon had saved him and cared for him as an orphaned child, only to disappear when he was ten years old. Natsu had a few choice words for his guardian; he made his money now by juggling fire in the streets of the cities he and Happy passed through during their quest, when he should have been a full-fledged Dragonslayer.

Dragonslayers were the league of mages who battled evil dragons and protected peaceful dragons, not from their own kind, but from humans with ill intentions. Dragons were a race that was criticized and observed with fear and suspicion. There were few humans who truly saw them for the wise, intense creatures they were and not as the destructive monsters they were perceived to be.

Unfortunately, dragons seemed to have suddenly vanished seven years ago along with Igneel. Without dragons, there could be no Dragonslayers; ergo, the reason that Natsu the Fire Salamander was reduced to Natsu the Fire-Juggler, a transition that he was still bitter about.

He and Happy trekked the forest in silence, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign that Igneel had been there. It could have been something obvious, like a charred carcass or an uprooted tree, but it was most likely something imperceptible, like a minuscule scale or the dragon's familiar scent mingling with the pine. But, alas, there was nothing.

The sun sank down into the horizon, and Natsu began looking for a place to sleep. Happy, who was also a mage and had a magic known as wings, flew into the sky in search of a cottage or a clearing. He plummeted back down and reported to Natsu that there was a tower up ahead, and it looked quite deserted.

Natsu gaped up at the tower when he finally made it to the clearing, where a small stream trickled beside the rickety foundation of the building. The tower had to have been at least as high as a castle, narrow and pointed at the top. There was a large window with a hook near the roof, shuttered against the cool night wind.

The two companions searched in vain for a door or ladder that they could use to climb up the tower, even ripping at some of the ivy infestation that had taken over half of the tall monument. They eventually came back to the window, looking up at it in exasperation.

"How the hell did people get up there?" Natsu inquired. "Good thing we can fly, huh?"

"Aye...but maybe we shouldn't stay here. There's something weird going on," Happy cautioned, surveying the tower with his big, round eyes.

"Nobody lives here, Happy, there's nothing to worry about," Natsu dismissed, hoisting his heavy pack over his shoulder. "Now, fly us up!"

Happy sighed and unfurled his wings, grabbing Natsu and shooting straight up the side of the tower. Natsu kicked open the shutters and leapt into the room after Happy flew inside.

"Whoa," he gasped, dropping his pack back on the floor with a thud. The room was fit for a king; a girly king at that. Silks and artwork adorned the walls, as well as polished bookshelves overflowing with knick-knacks and thick, leatherbound novels. A grand canopy bed sat in the corner, surrounded by a peculiar golden fur. There was also a bunch of fruit and vegetables in a box beside the bed; Natsu's stomach gave an appreciative growl.

He sniffed around curiously. The room's aroma was interesting; the mingled scent of warm honey and the musky smell of a dog. There was also an undertone that he couldn't quite peg; if he had to guess, it would be the smell of black licorice, but it was somehow more sinister.

"Are you sure about this, Natsu?" Happy squeaked, bringing the pink-haired Dragonslayer back to earth.

"It's fine, I told you. Nobody's here, Happy," Natsu said, gesturing around.

"But what about the food?"

"Eh, we'll eat after a good night's sleep. I'm tired."

Happy gave up and followed Natsu over to the bed, which did look very soft and comfortable. Natsu pulled back the sheer hangings and stretched, kicking off his sandals. He wiggled under the fluffy blanket and sighed when his head hit the pillow. He was going so sleep so good tonight...

Warm and content, he rolled over and came face-to-face with two wide, fearful brown eyes.

Both Natsu and the person next him screamed and scrambled out of bed, knocking down the hangings in their haste to get away from the other. Sometime during the struggle the hangings actually caught on fire, and Happy had to stamp them out.

A girl shakily stood up, glaring at Natsu and Happy defiantly. She was a curvaceous blonde with ridiculously long hair; what Natsu had thought was a golden fur was actually her hair coiled up around the bed. As she glared the hair slipped over her shoulders and pooled around her bare feet.

"Who are you?" she demanded urgently. "What are you doing here?"

"Who are _you_?" Natsu countered.

"That's none of your business!" the girl shrieked. "And you're not going to take me away, no matter how beautiful you think I am! I don't want to marry you!"

"I don't want to marry you! Who the hell told you that?" said Natsu in bewilderment. He turned on Happy, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Was it you?"

"B-but don't you think I'm irresistibly beautiful?" the girl stuttered, shocked.

Natsu shrugged. "Not really. Hey, can I have a peach? I'm starving. I'm Natsu, by the way. Natsu Dragneel. And this is Happy."

"Aye."

"I'm Lucy," the girl said numbly, while Natsu and Happy ransacked her food supply without a care as to whether she minded or not.

Natsu surveyed the tower with more interest now that he knew someone actually lived there. "What're you doing up here in this tower? Isn't it kind of...isolated?"

"You're the ones trespassing, so I should be asking the questions," Lucy said authoritatively, though she thought that Natsu made a very good point. Obviously, the story about her being too beautiful for public eyes was a complete lie - well, maybe not a _complete_ lie, more like an exaggeration - which begged the question as to why she was being locked up. She decided that it was not a topic she would pursue quite yet.

"Ask away," Natsu permitted, digging in to more food.

"What are you doing here? And who are you, anyway?" said Lucy.

"I _told_ you, I'm Natsu Dragneel and this is Happy. Don't you listen to anything?" the strange, pink-haired boy said impatiently. "I just needed a place to stay, so when I saw this tower and it looked abandoned, I broke in."

Lucy pursed her lips at the blatancy with which he confessed his crime, but was aware that there was little to nothing she could do about it. "Why were you walking through the forest? Hardly anyone comes through here."

"I'm looking for someone," Natsu explained, perking up suddenly. "Have you seen a big red dragon around here? Goes by the name Igneel?"

"Do I look stupid?" Lucy asked sarcastically.

"Aye," Happy interjected.

"Shut up, stupid cat! I do not look stupid!" Lucy snapped.

"Then why did you ask if you already knew?" Natsu inquired.

"It was rhetorical!"

"I don't even know what that means, do you, Happy?"

"Nope."

"Whatever, it's not important," Lucy said. "What I meant was that I'm not gullible. Of course I haven't seen a big red dragon around here - dragons don't exist!"

Natsu stood up, looking livid. "They do too! I'm a Dragonslayer, I should know!"

"Dragonslayer? What is that?" Lucy asked.

"We're kind of like law enforcement for dragons," Natsu explained grumpily, shooting Lucy a dirty look. "Anyway, I'm looking for Igneel. There were rumors that he was sighted around here."

"Why are you looking for this particular dragon? Is he a wanted felon or something?"

Natsu snorted as if this was the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Igneel, a criminal? No way! I'm looking for him 'cause he practically raised me, that's why. He disappeared seven years ago." His face suddenly became dark. "I won't stop looking until I find him, that's for sure."

Lucy blinked and nodded hesitantly. "Sorry, I...I didn't know. I haven't seen anything like you've described, though. I'm sorry."

"What're you apologizing for?" Natsu said, suddenly cheerful again. "It's not your fault! Anyway, thanks for the food, but I should probably get going so I can find a camping spot before dawn...c'mon, Happy..."

"Wait!" Lucy said, feeling a surge of panic as she watched them go. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and she doubted that it would ever happen again. She'd never had a conversation with anybody except for Jose. Natsu and Happy, while relatively disgusting when eating, seemed like interesting company. "You can, um, stay here if you want. I don't care as long as - "

"Really? You're awesome, Lucy!" Natsu cheered, sprinting towards the bed and flopping face-down on it beside Happy. Lucy's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"You can't sleep in my bed!" she screeched, scandalized. "Sleep on the chair or something."

"Aw, that's no better than camping," Natsu pouted.

Lucy gestured to the chair. "Out of my bed! Now!"

Grumbling, Natsu grabbed Happy and dragged him over to the cozy chair in the corner. Lucy handed him a pillow and some blankets and climbed back into her own bed, shaking her head sadly at the ruined hangings.

They laid there in silence for a moment. Lucy listened closely to her new visitors' breathing, counting the seconds between each soft snore. It gave her a sense of warm pleasure to note that there was someone else here for her to talk to.

"Natsu?" she whispered tentatively, lifting her head off the pillow to look at him.

But the strange Dragonslayer and his cat were already fast asleep.


	6. Questions Unanswered

**VI. Questions Unanswered**

"What is it?" Natsu prodded at Plue, who wiggled in response with his usual blank look of glee. Lucy scoffed as her nimble fingers crawled down her extensive length of hair, crafting it into a thick golden rope. She'd been working for a two hours, and she was about halfway done.

"That's Plue, my dog," she snapped. "And he's a _he_, not an _it_."

"I've never seen a dog like that," Natsu remarked, pinching Plue's long horn nose in between his thumb and forefinger, causing the dog to panic.

Lucy slapped his hand. "Don't do that, he can't breathe! Plue is a highly rare breed, a Canis Major. Besides, you have no right to talk about strange pets. Your cat is blue, talks, and he can fly!"

Natsu and Happy gave her incredulous looks. "Happy is not my pet! He's my nakama, thank you very much! And all those things make him awesome, not strange!"

"Aye," Happy agreed with a stern nod.

"Just eat your breakfast," Lucy ordered, pushing plates of food their way. Natsu and Happy, in need of no further encouragement, dug in.

Three days of searching in the forest for Igneel had turned out to be in vain. The great Fire Dragon was nowhere to be found, much to Natsu's extreme disappointment. He'd come back to Lucy's tower for a good night's rest, and so he could start off for the next town with a full stomach.

Lucy, after three lonely days of seeing no one, not even Jose, was elated to hear Natsu busting into the tower again; though she did express her fervent desire for him to knock, as she had not been fully clothed at the time.

"So what town are you heading to?" she inquired. Lucy knew nothing of Fiore's geography, but she liked hearing Natsu say the names and imagining what the places might be like. She hoped that one day, she would be able to travel to the cities like he did.

"Magnolia Town," said Natsu with a mouthful of food. "It's the closest one near here, just a few miles north. Haven't you ever been there?"

"No," Lucy said sadly. "I told you, I can only remember ever living here in this tower. It's the only place I've ever seen." This wasn't the entire truth. She remembered being inside Phantom Lord Castle, but even then she had only seen her room.

"That sounds boring," Happy remarked.

"It is," Lucy said.

"Why don't you come with us?" Natsu suggested brightly. "You seem alright, so you could come see some other places with us for a while! Maybe you'll meet Igneel!"

As tempting as this offer was, Lucy shook her head. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because - " Lucy paused, and considered it. Now that she thought about it...why _couldn't_ she go outside of the tower? She was seventeen, plenty old enough to go out on her own; and obviously she had been misinformed about her extravagant looks. Why was Jose keeping her up here?

"Let down your hair!"

Lucy blanched as Natsu and Happy looked inquisitively at the window, where Jose's voice was coming from. "Who's that?" Natsu said to himself, getting up.

"Are you crazy?" Lucy hissed, grabbing Happy's tail and Natsu's vest and dragging them towards the big wooden wardrobe. "That's Jose! You can't let him see you!"

"Who's Jose? What are you doing? What am I stepping in?" Natsu babbled, looking down at his feet to inspect the mysterious sticky substance at the bottom of the wardrobe.

"Oh, Lucy! What's taking you so long?"

"I'll explain later! Just don't make any noise!" Lucy stressed, slamming the wardrobe doors and hurrying over to the window, gathering up her braid along the way. She wound it on the hook and let it drop down the side of the tower.

Jose scurried into the tower moments later, smoothing out his rumpled mustache. He gave Lucy a look of disapproval as she unhooked her hair and dragged it back inside. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, I was, um, absorbed in the new book you brought me," Lucy lied, feeling a new surge of panic when she saw Jose eyeing three plates of food. Idiot! Why hadn't she hidden them?

"I see," Jose said, assessing the rest of the tower. Lucy's stomach sank when she realized that there were obvious signs all over that someone else had been there; the bed hangings were still laying in a heap on the floor, there was a pillow and blanket draped over the chair, Natsu's pack was barely hidden behind a bookshelf. She felt that at any moment, Jose would whip open the wardrobe and Natsu and Happy would tumble out.

Luckily, he did nothing of the sort. He simply cocked an eyebrow and remarked, "Feeling rather slobbish, are we?"

"Sorry," Lucy said, stepping over to Natsu's pack under the pretext to tidying up and slyly kicking it out of sight. "I was just getting ready to clean up when you came."

"What happened here?" Jose inquired, gesturing to the limp hangings.

"I had a nightmare," Lucy explained.

"What about, might I ask?"

"People. W-were chasing me. With pitchforks and, um, torches."

"Hmm..." Jose murmured, flicking his wrist. Shades appeared from out of nowhere and grasped the bed hangings, mantling them back on the ceiling of the tower above Lucy's bed. "You certainly must be more careful next time. And what about all this food? Did the nightmare make you excessively hungry?"

"No, that is my food from yesterday," Lucy said, but Jose had already peeked inside the box he'd brought her only four days ago to discover that it was empty.

"I'll have to bring more next time."

Lucy said nothing.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Jose inquired. Lucy could have sworn that he snuck a quick glance at the wardrobe, but she couldn't have been sure. "Anything at all?"

"No," she said, attempting to act normal. Please, please don't let him be suspicious. Lucy wasn't sure what Jose would do if he discovered that she'd had visitors, but it definitely couldn't have been anything good.

"Okay then," said Jose with a tight smile. "Well, I just came to tell you that tomorrow I would like you to come to the castle with me."

"Really?" Lucy gasped, perking up.

"Yes. I have a surprise for you." Jose sat down on the chair, tossing the pillow out of the way. "Now, Lucy, I have a story to tell you before you come with me tomorrow. A story about why you're here."

Lucy blinked and sat on the corner of the bed, transfixed. Never, not once in her life, had Jose ever talked about her being locked in the tower; other than the fib about her being too beautiful for unworthy eyes. She knew that Natsu and Happy were probably becoming restless in the wardrobe, but she couldn't let an opportunity like this slip through her fingers.

"You are very important to me," Jose began, giving her what she supposed was a disarming smile. To Lucy it looked like a grimace. "You see, you possess, within the very fiber of your being, a lost magic. A powerful magic that hasn't been used for many, many years. With it you could become a great mage and work with me. Wouldn't that be exciting?"

Lucy couldn't contain the slight leap of her heart. Jose knew that it was her dream to become a great mage, like the ones she read about in books, even though she had never displayed any sort of magic ability. Was he teasing her now, saying she had the prospects of such an amazing gift?

"Unfortunately," Jose continued, "this magic is locked. Your...well, a certain person made sure of that. I've had to keep you locked up in this tower until I could find the potion to undo the spell and unleash your magic, just in case someone decided that you would be a valuable asset to them or, I admit it, if you decided that you wanted to start a life on your own and run away.

"However, I have finally unlocked the secret to the regeneration of this lost magic inside of you. After tomorrow, you will start your training and you will become my apprentice. How does it sound, Lucy?"

Lucy was speechless. Become a mage? And a powerful one at that? Of course! But she didn't really want to become Jose's apprentice, per se; and he'd still left a lot of questions unanswered. For instance: who had locked her powers in the first place? How did he know she carried the lost magic within her?

Jose seemed to sense her confliction because he stood up and made his way to the window. "Don't worry, I'm not expecting an answer right away. I know this is a lot to take in. If you decide to come, I'll slowly let you in on more information, but right now I don't think you'd be able to handle it. I'll come around noon tomorrow, so be ready."

Jose used his Shades to climb out of the window, as Lucy was in such a state of shock that she didn't think to assist him. Just as his slim figure was disappearing into the forest, Natsu and Happy tumbled out of the wardrobe, followed by a cascade of the finest dresses of silk and satin. Natsu had a bra placed around his head, but Lucy was too deep in thought to chastise him for it. He unearthed himself from the pile of clothes and tossed the undergarment away, looking at her with curious concern.

"What was that all about?"


	7. Rapunzel

_I decided to update a little sooner since the last chapter was so short. Hopefully this will make up for it. Also, a quick thanks to all of you who reviewed and favorited the story. It makes me happy! :)_

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><p><strong>VII. Rapunzel<strong>

Natsu paced the forest vigorously, turning what Lucy had said over and over in his mind. Everything, from the fact that this Jose guy had locked her up in a tower all of her life to the part about her magical powers, seemed pretty fishy. Natsu could sense that there was something missing from the equation, and he had a feeling that Lucy could too; she just didn't want to accept it.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime," she'd said to him coldly after he'd expressed his suspicion. "You don't know how long I've wanted to get out of this tower, and you can't fathom how much I want to be a mage. Now that I finally get the opportunity to accomplish both, you're telling me that you think something's wrong?"

"C'mon, Lucy, you can't be that stupid!" Natsu had cried.

She'd narrowed her eyes chillingly, and Natsu knew he'd done something to offend her. "I think you'd better leave now," she'd suggested, turning her back and giving her undivided attention to braiding the rest of her hair.

Natsu shook his head to clear it. He knew that Lucy wouldn't accept anything without proof, so he was going to get her some proof. And the only place to do that: Phantom Lord Castle, where Sir Jose Porla lived.

"I don't like this," said Happy when the huge castle popped into view out of the ominous mist that had settled onto the forest floor with the setting of the sun. Natsu's jaw dropped; Phantom Lord was enormous! Why on earth would someone build a gigantic castle like this in the middle of the forest?

"Something's not right with Lucy's story," Natsu whispered as they drew nearer. There were even wrought-iron gates surrounding the territory around the castle, rising up into the treetops in glistening black spikes.

"Still, why do we have to break into his house?"

"What if it's something serious? There's something fishy going on here, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

Happy consented begrudgingly, most likely due to the inclusion of the word 'fishy' in the explanation. He unleashed his wings and flew up beside the hazardous spikes that capped the iron fence, scanning the grounds for anyone's presence. He swooped back down for Natsu when he confirmed that the coast was clear, and set him down neatly on the other side of the fence.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Natsu whispered.

"HEY! What're you doing here, punks?"

A bald, dark-skinned man with strange glasses - one lens was tinted, the other was not - came running up to them, looking outraged. Natsu and Happy exchanged a look, and before the man could do anything he was sprawled on the ground, knocked out by a fiery punch from Natsu.

"Sorry, but I've got somewhere to b - "

Natsu was suddenly flying through the air, landing with a solid thump on the cobblestones. A loud screeching rang in his ears, vibrating throughout his skull. He turned to see the man standing up, baring down on him.

"Weren't expecting that, were you?" he taunted, flexing his fingers. "Nobody gets into Phantom Lord Castle while Bozo's on duty. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"Like I'm telling you," Natsu scoffed. He leapt up and went to punch Bozo again, but screeched to a halt and had to cover his ears against the noise that assaulted him, grating against his ears like nails on a chalkboard. Bozo closed a fist, and the noise stopped.

"Super-sensitive hearing, I see," Bozo assessed, pondering Natsu curiously. "You must be an extraordinary mage. You work with fire...Totomaru would have fun with you."

"I don't have time for this," Natsu said irritably, cracking his knuckles. "I tried to go easy on you, but now it's time for me to get serious. _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_

Bozo, stunned by the sheer temperature of the flame that Natsu shot from his mouth, was soon consumed by it and lay, defeated, on the ground. Feeling triumphant, Natsu clapped his hands together and started sneaking his way to the castle, Happy at his heels.

Little did he know that Bozo was still clinging to the edge of consciousness. Using the last of his energy, he mumbled, "_Howling_."

A sound like an alarm blared throughout the courtyard, alerting everyone of the emergency at hand. Natsu heard voices shouting over the alarm and ran in the opposite direction, not wanting to bring too much attention to himself for once. He knew this was supposed to be a covert mission.

"Happy, this way!" he yelled, directing the blue cat towards what looked like the back entrance to the kitchens. They barged in and waited in silence for a moment, looking around. It was, indeed, the entrance to some dark, dank kitchens that looked very much in disrepair. Natsu peeked around the corner and motioned for Happy to follow him.

The corridors of Phantom Lord were silent and echoed horribly. It gave Natsu an deep, ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach, but still he pressed on. Whatever he found out here could help Lucy; maybe even save her life.

Eventually he came to a winding, crumbling stairwell. Figuring that Jose's quarters would probably be located in the upper floors of the castle, he fearlessly clambered up the rickety stairs and on to the next level.

There were a lot of doors. Natsu didn't know where to start looking. If he risked peering into each room, then he was bound to run in to a Phantom Lord employee. And by the looks of it, a lot of them knew magic. That would be almost _too _reckless, even for him.

Then it hit him: smell! He could track down Jose's rooms using the sinister black licorice scent that he now knew as Jose's distinct aroma. The whole castle faintly stank of it, but Jose's rooms would probably reek.

Following his nose led him deeper and deeper into the castle, away from the safety of the empty back corridors and into the handsome front halls. He went up another flight of stairs, but these were polished and quite sturdy.

He stopped at a pair of glossy black doors nearly identical except in size to the front entrance. The smell wafting from the crack between the floor and the door made Natsu's stomach twist with the sickly-sweetness of it. This had to be it.

Setting his mouth, he opened the door.

The room was empty. It was a study, not a bedroom like Natsu had been expecting. There was a mahogany desk near the back center of the room, littered with stacks and stacks of papers, ink wells, quills, and clinking mechanical objects that looked delicate and sadistic at the same time. There was finery everywhere, from the threadbare Persian rug on the floor to the rich colorful tapestries hanging on the walls, most depicting what Natsu assumed as the Phantom Lord crest, a swirly thing with an orb settled between two slim appendages. The small stone fireplace was crackling with warm, orange flames, casting an inviting glow over the premises and giving off the alluring scent of cedar. The elegant windows were fogged with evening mist; Natsu swiped his hand across the cool glass to see that people were bustling around the paths in the bizarre gardens like ants.

Natsu decided that speed was the most important thing right then, as people already knew he was there. It wouldn't take long for them to deduce where he'd gone. So, after making a quick snack of the cedar wood fire - a delicacy you appreciated after being raised for ten years by a Fire Dragon - he attacked the desk, shifting through the papers for any mention of Lucy.

"There's nothing here!" he hissed, tossing the papers around in frustration.

"Wait!" Happy said, his round eyes growing ever wider as he opened a drawer in Jose's desk and pulled out a file. "Look at this, Natsu!"

"What's that?" Natsu inquired, taking the file. "'Project Rapunzel'? That name sounds familiar...where have I heard it before...?"

"You know, Rapunzel Heartphilia? The Lost Princess?" urged Happy. You see, Natsu had been born the same year as Lucy and had no recollection of the kidnapping, nor did Happy. After Layla's death, the kingdom had grown so accustomed to addressing the princess as "Rapunzel" instead of her proper name that people soon forgot what her name was at all. Therefore, children such as Natsu and Happy knew the Lost Princess as Rapunzel Heartphilia, not Lucy Heartphilia.

"Right!" Natsu said, snapping his fingers. "Let's see what's in here..."

He began to read, "'Project Rapunzel, an extensive research on the forgotten magic known as Celestial Magic, which is rumored to give its user the power to enslave any human or object she touches by binding contracts with them and sending them to another world, known as the Celestial Spirit World, until called upon with a key by the owner...the only known carriers of this genetically-transmitted magic are the women of the ancient Hart clan, the last descendants of which are rumored to be Karen Lilica,' - hey, he scribbled a note here that says she's deceased - 'a woman by the alias of Angel, and none other than Queen Layla Heartphilia and her daughter, Princess Lucy Heartphilia.' Wait, I thought the Lost Princess's name was Rapunzel?"

"Keep reading!"

Natsu shook his head and continued. "'The magic is dormant as of now, however research suggests that it can be triggered by stressful emotional situations. For example, a decorative lyre in my office was transformed into one of these enslaved people, known as Celestial Spirits, when Lucy's pet bunny died. Distraught, she began crying and blindly ran into the lyre, which sprang to life and announced that she was the Lyre Celestial Spirit. Lucy, being four at the time, promptly named her Lyra and suddenly came in possession of a silver key. Lyra then disappeared from my office and into the Celestial Spirit world, but she would not come out unless Lucy summoned her. I confiscated the key and Lucy is unaware of the event ever taking place. There hasn't been an event akin to this since, leading me to believe that the magic does not present itself spontaneously as I had hoped...' Happy, it goes on like this for five pages. There's no way I can read all of it."

"Go to the most recent stuff," Happy ordered. Natsu did and skimmed, frowning as his eyes made his way down the page.

"Shit! Happy, listen to this - "

Suddenly, the door to the office burst open and there stood Jose, looking absolutely infuriated. There was a moment of utter shock as the men assessed each other, and then Natsu gathered the papers in his arms and shot a fireball at Jose.

He deflected it with a wave of his hand. "Foolish boy," he hissed. "No one trespasses on Phantom Lord property and lives without the consequences. _Shade Entangle!_"

Natsu found himself surrounded by a cold, ghostly aura, and he couldn't move. Talons gripped at his neck and squeezed mercilessly, cutting off his air supply. The more he struggled, the worse the pain became. He saw that Jose had yet to notice Happy, who stood behind the desk with horror-struck eyes.

"Happy!" Natsu rasped, using the last of his strength to toss the cat the file. He caught it and whizzed around the room, avoiding a baffled Jose's attacks. "Bring it to Lucy!" Natsu commanded, feeling a wave of strength growing in his core as the cold hands released him. "I'll meet you at the tower! _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!_"

Natsu erupted from Jose's Shades and leapt forward with a courageous cry. His fist collided solidly with Jose's face. They tumbled into a heap of metal objects, attacking each other in a blur of bright light and dark shadows. Finally a wave of pure, cold fury sucked the warmth from the room, and Jose snarled, "_Enough!_"

Shades grabbed Natsu's arms and yanked him away from Jose; no matter how much he struggled, the Shades would not loosen their grip. They seemed unpredictably strong, their faces masked under the hoods of their ethereal cloaks.

"You think that a little brat like you can defeat me?" Jose said, smoothing out his hair and pacing the office while Natsu observed furiously. "You are terribly mistaken. I had a feeling that Lucy had visitors, but I never guessed they would dare trespass here. Aria!"

A huge, blindfolded man appeared in the room, walking right up to Jose. Natsu was uneasy about him, but didn't show it.

"Aria, there is a flying blue cat who just stole some very important documents," Jose said, turning to the blindfolded man. "I want you to find him and bring him here for me to handle."

"There's no need!"

Happy zoomed into the room, a blue blur heading straight for Jose at maximum speed. He collided effortlessly with Jose's head and immediately the Shades holding Natsu back vanished in a wisp of smoke. Natsu grinned recklessly at Aria, shouting, "_Fire Dragon's Roar!_" and shooting flame at the blindfolded man before he could process anything. Aria used his airspace magic to make the fire disappear, but by then Happy had already grabbed Natsu and was flying out of the shattered window into the chaotic forest night.

Natsu let out a whoop as they sailed through the sky, Aria's frustrated shout echoing in their ears. "That was awesome, Happy!"

"Aye," Happy agreed, looking quite surprised himself. "I felt wrong about leaving you, Natsu, so I doubled back. Also, I found this in the file." He held up a silver key, flashing like a blade in the moonlight. "It must be Lyra, that Celestial Spirit."

Natsu took the key and turned it around in his hands, running his finger along the inscriptions. "You know what this means, right?" he said quietly, pocketing the silver key. "That Jose kidnapped Lucy, and she's actually the Lost - "

He was interrupted by a jet of hot red flame, which made him yelp in surprise. Looking down, he saw a man shooting another fireball at him and Happy, this one icy blue. Natsu opened his mouth wide and consumed it before it could hit them, shivering soon afterward. "C-cold," he said, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, veering. Orange fire shot forward, but Natsu had turned his nose away in disgust; the stuff smelled horrible. The silver key slipped from Natsu's pocket, twirling in the air as it plummeted to the ground.

"No!" Natsu said, trying to grab it. "I dropped Lyra! Happy, fly down so we can get her!"

"No problem," Happy said sardonically as the time limit on his wings suddenly went out, and they disappeared with a dismal pop.

Screaming in terror, Natsu and Happy flailed as they followed the key straight for the hard, unforgiving earth, doing their best to dodge the streamers of orange fire that seemed to be coming at them from all directions.


	8. Let Down Your Hair

**VIII. Let Down Your Hair**

Natsu breathed a sigh of relief when his fingers finally wrapped around the cool contours of Lyra's silver key and plucked it from the dew-damp grass. "Found it, Happy!" he called.

"Finally!" Happy exclaimed, tapping over on his stubby legs. Thanks to Natsu's Dragonslayer reflexes, they'd managed to survive the freefall that took place after Happy's magic power expired by grabbing the branch of a sturdy tree, but they had to linger near the castle in search of the key of the Lyre, which Jose had taken from a young Lucy long ago. Natsu, though wary of the enemies close at hand, didn't feel right leaving it in the forest for anyone to find.

"Let's go," Natsu said, dumping the key in his pocket along with the papers that Happy had managed to save. He'd lost a few pages when they fell, but Natsu was confident that the remaining two would be enough to convince Lucy of Jose's devious plot.

"What d'you think Lucy's gonna do when she finds out that she's the Lost Princess?" Happy inquired as they walked to the isolated tower, which Natsu suspected was not far from Phantom Lord Castle.

"I dunno," Natsu sighed, fingering the key in his pocket sadly. "The Heartphilia family isn't in power anymore as far as I know, so it's not like she can rule Fiore. Maybe she'll want to find her real dad, see what he's up to."

"Aye..." said Happy, eyeing his companion. Natsu had that dismal lilt in his voice, the one that told Happy that he was missing Igneel, or maybe even thinking about his own biological parents, whom Natsu had never known. Happy had been hatched from an egg Natsu found; he didn't know who his parents were either. But if Natsu felt towards Igneel anything like Happy felt towards Natsu, he was certain that the Salamander was missing his dragon every single day.

Natsu didn't stay sober for too long; a second later, he grinned mischievously when the tower came into view. "Hey, Happy, you know what would be funny? What if I pretended to be Jose and got Lucy to throw her braid down the side of the tower? Imagine her face when she saw it was me instead!"

"Do it!"

They arrived at the foot of the enormous tower, standing like a beacon of infrastructure in the center of the forest. Natsu cleared his throat and, using his best Jose impression - which was pretty close to the real thing - he said, "Let down your hair!"

Seconds later, the golden rope of Lucy's braided hair unfurled from the window and swung down to where Natsu was standing. He and Happy grinned at each other and grabbed the braid, hoisting themselves up the tower wall. It was laborious work, but eventually they made it to the top. Natsu stuck his head inside the tower, expecting to see Lucy's shocked face.

Instead, he came nose-to-nose with a smiling Jose.

The man had Lucy's braid grasped in his hands; Lucy was screaming in the corner, gagged and restrained by Aria, her hair cut off so it flopped just past her shoulders. She struggled against the blindfolded man to no avail, tears pricking her eyes.

"Hello," Jose said pleasantly, bringing Natsu's attention back to him. "Sol, take the cat."

A springy man popped out of nowhere and snatched Happy off of Natsu's back. Natsu, outraged, started forward, but Jose's grin grew ever wider.

"And goodbye."

He released the braid.

"NATSU!" Happy cried, scratching and biting Sol in vain. Lucy screamed incoherently. They knew that he could survive a good amount, but there was no way that he would live after falling seven stories.

Jose calmly turned his back on the window, assessing Happy as the blue cat gave him an acidic scowl. "What to do with you...?" he pondered, tapping his chin with one spidery finger. "I suppose I'll deal with you later. I've more important matters to attend to. Sol, chain him next to the dog."

Sol brought him over to the corner where Plue was chained to the wall by a collar around his neck, looking very forlorn. Happy much resented having a collar hooked around his neck, and he expressed his displeasure by biting Sol roughly in the finger. The man tasted like dirt.

Jose paid no attention as Sol yelped and nursed his finger, glaring vehemently at Happy. He was absorbed with Lucy as tears streamed down her face and she gave him a murderous look. He reached around and untied the cloth that rendered her incapable of speech, therefore giving her the opportunity to swing her foot upwards and jam it squarely in between his legs with as much force as she could muster. Lucy knew enough about anatomy to deduce that this was where she could inflict the most severe pain.

Immediately Jose doubled forward and shielded himself from any further attacks, his face turning red with the effort of holding in whimpers of agony. Lucy felt triumphant for a moment, until Aria gripped her arms with enough force to splinter the bone.

"Non, non, non, that was not very ladylike," Sol chastised.

Lucy glared up at him, the room blurred by tears. "He deserved it."

"You just made the rest of your life very, very unpleasant," Jose growled, struggling to stand and scrape up whatever dignity he had left. "Aria, let Lucy go."

Aria did as he was told, Lucy landing in a heap at his feet. Jose held out a hand to help her up, but she swatted it away and stood on her own.

Jose sighed. "Very well. I'll give you a choice, Lucy: do you want to die a slow, painful death, or do you want to work for me?"

"I'd rather die," Lucy spat. "You're a lying, cheating, murderous - "

" - I'm so mean and evil, blah, blah, blah," Jose interrupted, enraging Lucy even further. "Save the flattery for another time. But I suppose your choice is your choice, it makes me no difference. I have a method of precuring your power either way."

"Power?" Lucy snorted. "What power do you keep going on about?"

"Well, I suppose since you're going to die in just a few moments I might as well tell you the whole story," Jose said. "Perhaps you'll even change your mind about joining me.

"It began seventeen years ago, when Queen Layla Heartphilia desired a child. The king came to me, and thanks to my magic I was able to bless the kingdom with a two heirs: a prince and a princess. Our negotiations were that when she gave birth I would be able to keep the princess.

"You see, I knew of a strand of ancient magic flowed in the veins of the queen. She may not have even known it herself, it is so lost. Only four people in this generation have it; two of whom are deceased, and only two have actually been able to use it. It's known as Celestial Magic, inherited from woman to woman in a family. Basically it allows you to enslave a person or object you touch by ownership of a key. When you call upon this person, also known as Celestial Spirits, they will do your bidding.

"Anyway, I knew that if the Celestial Magic flowed through the queen's veins, then her daughter would certainly inherit it. So I stole her away the night she was born and raised her up as my own. Any guesses as to who this mysterious princess is?"

Lucy ogled at Jose. He must've been insane. There was no way that Lucy was a princess, no way that she harbored this lost magic, no way that she had a twin brother. There was just no way that any of this was true.

"I can see by your expression that you don't believe me," Jose chuckled darkly. "But it's true. Your name is Princess Lucy Heartphilia; though I can't say you're next in line for the throne, as the Heartphilia family fell from power a long time ago. There are few who still actually know your real name. Most address you as Rapunzel or the Lost Princess, because the queen's distress was so great after she lost you that she would burst into tears every time she heard your name spoken.

"It became apparent as you grew older that you looked too much like Queen Layla to let you wander about. So I locked you up in this tower, hoping that your powers would monopolize and mature enough to be of some use to me. They have, as a matter of fact. You're the owner of one Celestial Spirit, a rather annoying harpist who you've deemed Lyra. You probably don't remember her; she was created when you were four.

"But since that time, you've created nothing," Jose snarled, abruptly delving into a disgruntled tirade. "Not one little Spirit. I thought that all hope was lost, that you would be useless after all. But then I visited a rather perverse politician in Shirotsume Town named Duke Everlue. He was in possession of a golden key, very different from the silver one that you created. And he could use it, even though he had not a speck of magic in his blood! When I, the great Sir Jose Porla, couldn't unlock the secret to your annoying lyre!

"But when he demonstrated, I saw that the Spirit was a maid that he'd employed previously and that I'd actually purchased from him once before. He explained that the golden keys were different from the silver keys, that they could not be created by Celestial Spirit mages. There are only twelve in existence, one for each of the Zodiac. Each of the Spirits in these keys are cursed people. In the instance of Virgo, his maid, she mistakenly released the previous Spirit who was imprisoned in that key and took her place. You don't have to have Celestial Magic to use these keys; they can be used by anyone.

"Virgo's story gave me an idea. You see, after months and months of searching I found a way of extracting magic from a mage and keeping it for my own use, much like the key extracts the spirit of a person.

"Which brings us back to the now," Jose concluded, gazing down at Lucy maliciously. "I'm going to ask you again: Do you want to join me and develop your powers, or do you want me to extract your magic from your body and kill you? Choose carefully."

"Don't do it, Lucy!" Happy cried, though he didn't really know what he didn't want Lucy to do. He didn't want her to die, but he also knew that surrendering to the enemy would have been a disgrace as horrible as death. Natsu's motto had always been "never go down without a fight!" What would he say if Lucy agreed to work for Jose?

But Lucy only looked up at Jose and grinned. "Neither," she said defiantly.

"Neither!" Jose repeated, looking positively baffled. "What do you mean, 'neither'? Those are the only two choices you get, silly girl!"

"Not quite."

These words did not come from Lucy or Happy or Plue. They did not come from Jose or Sol or Aria, who had yet to speak at all. They came from a figure standing in front of the open window, a figure with a billowing, white, scaly scarf and a challenging, confident smile.

"Impossible," Jose whispered, how eyes growing wide.

"I'll tell you what Lucy's going to do," Natsu said, igniting his fists. "You're going to let her go, and then she's going to come with me and Happy to see the world that you deprived her of."

"Or what?" Jose sneered, standing to face Natsu with his arms crossed. "I'm stronger than you, boy, and you're out numbered three to one. This isn't a fight that you can win."

"Wrong!" Natsu exclaimed decisively. "One, you're not stronger than me; two, I'm not out numbered with Lucy and Happy on my side; and three, we _are_ going to beat you!"

"I don't have time for this! _Shade Enta _- "

But before Jose had time to finish his incantation, Natsu had already leapt forward and swung one fiery fist, hitting Jose squarely in the mouth.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked, twisting out of the way as the two men landed right beside her.

"Hiya, Luce," Natsu said familiarly while he grappled with Jose. "Sorry I'm late, but I had to climb all the way up the side of the tower. Those vines really came in handy on the way down though." He dodged a kick from Jose, who was slowly regaining his composure and obviously planning to use magic soon. "Would you mind freeing Happy and Plue? I'm kind of busy."

Lucy grinned at Natsu's casual approach to the disastrous situation and nodded, cautiously scooting her way over to the blue cat and white dog; a rather difficult task, considering her hands were still tied.

"Watch out, Lucy!" Happy warned, trying to dislodge himself from the collar. Moments later Lucy felt thin, spidery hands pulling her back and saw the angered face of Sol, the butler.

"Non, non, non," he said rapidly. "Ladies do not crawl around on the floor like that. Didn't your _mère_ teach you manners?"

Lucy felt her face grow hot and rammed her shoulder into Sol's chest, sending them toppling to the floor. She didn't last for very long in the struggle that transpired; if only her hands were untied! Sol lifted her to her feet and kept a firm grip on her upper arm, glaring at her viciously.

"Let - me - go!" she screeched, jerking away from him with each word.

"Non, non, non," Sol jeered mockingly. He dragged her over to the wall with surprising strength for one who looked so unstable and slammed her against it with more force than necessary. Lucy winced and kicked at his shins, consequencely tripping over a rug, unable to catch herself as her hands were still tied. She fell right onto an old grandfather clock.

Suddenly, her stomach twisted and her heart lurched; a searing heat filled her nerves as though they had been replaced with burning wires. She gasped at the pain, and then at the blinding stars that sprang into her vision.

Then she was on the floor, and the grandfather clock was standing over her, shielding her from Sol.

It had arms and legs, and a solemn face on the round surface of the clock. Lucy gaped at it, hardly believing her eyes. The grandfather clock, that had just been sitting inanimately along the wall moments ago, was _alive_.

Sol seemed as shocked as she, but recovered momentarily and squared his shoulders.

"What is this?" he demanded, gesturing wildly to the clock.

Lucy remembered what Jose said about her naming the Lyre to which she'd created. "He is Horologium," she christened proudly, struggling to stand, "The Clock."

"At your service, Lucy," Horologium said. "I see that you are in trouble now, so we can bind a contract later."

"Contract?" Lucy said blankly, but then she shook her head to clear it and smiled. "Right! Horologium, fend him off for as long as you can while I untie Happy and - "

She was interrupted by a cold chill that swept across the room, seeping into her very bones and causing her teeth to chatter. Natsu was suddenly flung against the wall, which crumbled in his wake. He gritted his teeth as he stood up, blood seeping into his eyes.

"This has gone on long enough!" Jose roared, dark power emanating from him dangerously. He clapped his hands together and the dark aura became oppressing, like Lucy was being squeezed through a tube. "_Dead Wave!"_

She felt the tower lurch, and the stone beneath her feet began to crumble. Horologium grabbed her and stuffed her into the hollow square where his pendulum swung violently, shutting her inside the protective glass before the full force of the attack could hit her.

"Horologium! Wait, we have to help Natsu!" Lucy screamed, banging on the glass. But it was already too late; with the deafening sound of many stones splitting, they fell with the rest of the tower down onto the earth. The glass door could protect her from the smaller debris, but it could not hold up against the large bricks that battered the poor grandfather clock relentlessly. Lucy screamed as the door shattered and she was pelted not only with shards of glass and rock, but also with the overwhelming smell of decay and chill that reminded her of the skin of a corpse. Her insides seemed to disappear; she felt as hollow as Horologium, as brittle as the glass door that had been her protection.

She came to her senses just before they hit the ground, a jarring impact that left her breathless for many terrifying seconds. Horologium disappeared with a curt pop. His silver key fell onto a stone with a soft metalic clatter.


	9. Unlocked

**IX. Unlocked**

"Lucy!"

Happy rushed over to the dazed blonde, leaping over the large boulders like hurdles. He'd managed to slip out of the collar moments before Jose had administered Dead Wave, grabbing Plue before he could fall out of the tower to his death. The small white dog scurried after him, looking around anxiously for his owner.

"Happy? Plue?" Lucy said, blinking in surprise. "Are you guys okay? Where's Natsu?"

"I don't know, I was getting ready to ask you the same thing." Happy looked around at the destruction, feeling his insides twist uncomfortably. The whole entire tower, tons and tons of stone, had fallen to the ground and was surrounded at all sides by a ring of brown, dead grass. The work of Jose's Dead Wave, which had been directed at Natsu.

"Arrrrrgh!"

They wheeled around to see Aria bursting from the stone, tears streaming from his eyes as he held Sol under one arm and Jose under the other. Lucy, Happy, and Plue were all knocked over when he looked at them. His blindfold was gone, revealing ruthless pink eyes.

"No one defeats Phantom Lord!" he bellowed, glaring at them. He fixed them with his pink stare and raised two fingers, grinning. "_Zero!_"

Lucy fell to her knees as all of the air was whisked from her lungs. Her hands flew up to her throat as she tried to breathe the absent air. She could see Happy and Plue doing the same, turning purple in the process. Her insides burned, screamed in anguish, writhing as the life was sucked right out of her. She couldn't hold her body up anymore. She collapsed, convulsing as the world blinked in and out of focus.

_I'm going to die_.

She closed her eyes.

Aria shouted something that Lucy couldn't hear because of the deafening ringing her ears; but suddenly, with a great gasp, the sweet air was restored to her body. She took giant gulps of it, coughing as her body was wracked with dry, uncontrollable sobs of shock.

"Happy! Lucy!"

Lucy felt a rush of heat, warmth as welcome and comforting as sunshine. She opened her eyes to see Natsu hovering over her, gently slapping her cheeks. "Hey, Lucy! C'mon, say something!"

"Stop...slapping me," she wheezed, swatting his hand away limply. She sat up on her elbows and looked around. Aria was a charred heap on the ground, squashing Sol and Jose. "What did you do?"

"His reflexes weren't fast enough," Natsu said simply, helping her off the ground and steadying her before moving on to Happy. "I attacked him and he had to release you guys before he could retaliate. He didn't do it fast enough."

"What about Jose's - ?"

"I countered it with Fire Dragon's Roar." Natsu shuddered. "I didn't get all of it, though. I don't like that magic at all. It makes you feel..."

There was no need for him to finish the sentence. Lucy knew exactly what he meant. Instead she busied herself with helping him wake up Happy and Plue, who were both as surprised and elated to see Natsu alive as she was.

She sighed as she surveyed the destruction of the tower. It had been her prison, but it was also the only home she'd really ever known. What would she do without it? Her heart sank. What about all of her books, her writings, her clothes?

"What d'you think we should do with these guys?" Natsu inquired, nudging Aria with his foot.

Lucy considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "Take them back to the castle, I guess."

"What? No way we can carry all of them!" Natsu scoffed, rubbing blood out of his eyes. Lucy noticed just how injured he was - apart from the various cuts and bruises caused by the destruction of the tower, he also had a head wound that was bleeding freely and he was holding his left arm in his right hand as if it hurt. Lucy bit her lip as guilt clogged up her throat.

It was all her fault that Natsu was hurt. If she hadn't gotten him involved, if she'd just sent him on his way, none of this would have happened. Or if she'd cut her hair and gone away with him before Jose could use her, then maybe she would be in Magnolia Town starting a new life already. She'd known Jose was dangerous deep down inside, but she was just too desperate to become a mage.

"I guess we'll just leave them here and summon the Rune Knights," Natsu sighed, shrugging. "They'll take care of all this. I'm pretty sure he's a wanted criminal, you know, if he was the one who kidnapped the Lost - whoa, Lucy, why're you crying?"

"I'm sorry!" Lucy sniffed, hiding her face in her hands as tears slid down her face. "I d-didn't mean to drag you into any of th-this! It's my f-fault that you're hurt!"

Natsu snorted, causing Lucy to glance up at him sharply. He looked down at her in bemusement, shaking his head. "You can't be that stupid. It's not your fault that you got kidnapped as a baby, and it's not your fault that I found you in that tower. It's their fault that I'm hurt" - he jerked a head at the pile of charred bodies - "so stop beating yourself up about it. If you're gonna cry every time I get hurt, then you can't come with me and Happy."

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me." Natsu grinned. "What, did you think that we would rebuild the tower and that you were gonna live there the rest of your life? C'mon, Luce, you're supposed to be smart!"

Lucy gaped for a minute. Then she smiled.

Natsu smiled back brilliantly. "Alright! Let's go to Phantom Lord Castle so we can kick the rest of their asses and summon the Rune Knights! We might need to get you some clothes too, 'cause those are all shredded and stuff."

Lucy looked down at her gown which was, miraculously, missing at least half of the coverage that it started out with. She wiped her eyes and silently began picking her way through the debris before she remembered something.

"Oh!" She raced back over to the rock where she'd landed and grabbed Horologium's silver key, which was engraved with the face of a clock. Her Celestial Spirit.

"Yeah, this one's yours too," Natsu said, pressing another silver key into her palm, this one with a lyre engraved on it. "It looks like you unlocked your magic and you'll become a mage after all."

Lucy smiled down at the two cool silver keys gleaming in her hands. She remembered what Jose said about only four people having this ability - and that two of them were dead. Her stomach clenched when she thought of the possibility that one of these people was her mother.

With a glance at Natsu out of the corner of her eye, she decided to save that question for another time. She would sort things out later, tomorrow, when the Rune Knights arrived and Sir Jose Porla and his cronies were safely locked away. Then she would go with Natsu and Happy and find her family, her father, her mother, and the twin brother she hadn't laid eyes on since birth.

"Yes, I suppose I am." Lucy looked up from the keys and returned Natsu's cheery grin, sensing the bright dawn of a new beginning on her horizon.


	10. Magnolia Town

**X. Magnolia Town**

Lucy sighed as her fine blonde hair slipped once again from its braid. It was apparent that, after nearly an hour of working on it, her new hair style was much too short to be put in a braid. She tried leaving it down, but it looked so dull.

Natsu, a pack slung over his shoulder and ready to go, burst into her room in his customary manner; which is to say, without warning other than the boisterous call of her name.

"You're still not ready?" he huffed impatiently, depositing his dusty pack on her bed. "What's taking you so long? We should be in Magnolia by now!"

"Sorry, I just can't get my hair right!" said Lucy with a sarcastic bite, frowning at her limp-haired reflection in the mirror. She jumped a little when it caught her eye. She looked so different from only two days ago, when she had hair that extended for a mile and gowns made of the finest silk and satin.

Now her hair only just passed her shoulders, and her attire was anything she could scavenge from the abandoned Phantom Lord Castle, which consisted of several revealing tops, short skirts, and boots.

Lucy's appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed over the past couple days. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy had taken Phantom Lord Castle, defenseless without their three prominent managers - the only person who truly was equally matched to Natsu was a fire-mage called Totomaru, but in the end it was Natsu who triumphed - and easily taken care of. Natsu sent a letter with Happy to Magnolia Town, the closest civilization, and within the next evening every employee of Jose's was arrested for aiding and abedding a wanted criminal.

As for Jose, he was arrested with much more serious charges. When the Rune Knights saw Lucy, they'd exclaimed that she was the spitting image of Queen Layla Heartphilia, enough proof for Lucy to officially deduce that she was indeed the Lost Princess, the Rapunzel, of the Heartphilia family.

Her next move was undecided. She supposed that she would travel with Natsu and Happy until they reached Acalypha and she would search for her father to get more clues concerning her lineage. According to the combined information provided by the Rune Knights and Natsu, her mother was dead, her twin brother had disappeared off the face of the planet, and the once regal Heartphilia family was thriving in a prospering business association run by her father.

Lucy pushed all of this from her mind as the sheer weight of it threatened to knock her over. For now, she was focused on getting her hair right.

"Just leave it like that," Natsu suggested, waving a dismissal hand. "We've got to go if we want to make it there before it gets dark."

"But - "

"Lucy," interrupted Natsu, "do you really want to camp out in the woods tonight with all the bugs and snakes and owls?"

Before he had even finished his sentence, Lucy had forgotten all about her hair and was rushing out the door. "Come on, we don't have all day!" she said briskly, hastily dividing her hair into pigtails and hoping that would do.

The day was as sweltering as the ones before it. The wary travelers were abused by the harsh rays of the sun, resting whenever they could in the splotchy shade of the thinning trees. Thick, abrasive thunder clouds were rolling forward on the horizon, promising rain and suffocating humidity. Lucy was very glad that she no longer had to carry the weight of her hair.

Finally, after several hours of endless trekking, Plue fell face-down into the mulch. Happy, who was too tired to fly, tripped over him and refused to get back up. Lucy flopped down under the shade of a tree, letting the faint breeze kiss her skin.

"C'mon, guys, we're almost there!" Natsu urged. He had been by far the most energetic on the trip, but it seemed as though even he was beginning to feel the effects of the stiffling heat.

"Just give us a break," Lucy said thickly, throwing an arm over her eyes. "We've been walking all day, and it's so hot."

Natsu huffed reluctantly. "Fine, a quick break. You know, if you hadn't spent so long getting ready this morning, we would be there by now."

"If you didn't have motion sickness, we could have taken the carriages the Rune Knights offered us and been there for two days," Lucy pointed out, shooting him a nasty glare from her vantage point.

Natsu made a face and laid back in the grass, folding his arms under his head. He pointed at the swaying branches of the tree, and the beautiful white flowers that danced amongst the heavy round leaves. "We're under a magnolia tree," he sighed, eyelids drooping. Lucy had already dozed off, calmed by the gentle sound of the breeze and the sweet scent of the flowers. The heat was no longer stifling; in fact, it was comforting, like a big warm blanket...

"Oi!"

The pair scrambled off the ground, looking shocked. The warm afternoon was gone, replaced by purple twilight and churning clouds above them. Lucy blinked up at the sky and a raindrop fell squarely on her nose.

Two figures emerged from the trees, a man and woman who were obviously related. The mane was tall and bulky, with stiff white hair that stood in uniform spikes and a long black scar that ran down the side of his face from his eye to his chin. The girl was younger and pretty, with short, sleek hair and big blue eyes.

There was a moment of silence as the parties assessed each other. Eventually, the white-haired girl shot them a disarming smile and stepped forward. "Hello," she said pleasantly, sticking out a hand to help them off the ground, "I'm Lisanna and that's my older brother, Elfman. Are you guys lost?"

"No, we just fell asleep," Natsu explained.

"We were on our way to Magnolia Town," Lucy added.

"Aye," Happy said, rubbing sleep from his eye.

"We live there!" Lisanna chirped, as if this was the best coincidence in the world. "It's only a few minutes' walk that way. We were just taking a walk, but we were heading home so we wouldn't get caught by the rain. Elf-bro noticed you, and I didn't think you'd want to get rained on, so..."

"Thanks, that would've been awful," Lucy said gratefully, tugging at her white shirt.

Lisanna giggled. "No problem. Elf-bro and I will walk with you to Magnolia, if you want. We always like company, isn't that right, Elf-bro?"

The five of them chatted as they walked. Lisanna and Lucy got on pretty well, as they had a lot in common, and by the time they were nearing the outskirts of Magnolia Natsu had made Elfman promise him a friendly brawl.

"Welcome to Magnolia," Lisanna announced as they stepped out from the trees.

Lucy felt her jaw drop. Magnolia Town was even more beautiful than she had ever imagined, with candy-colored buildings that made her solitary tower look like a military fortress and ancient cobblestone streets bustling with activity. And the people! All the people, more than she had ever seen in her entire life, selling and buying and walking and playing, and doing all sorts of things that people did. For a moment, she felt herself shrivel up. What if she was different, odd, out of place amongst all these people? They intimidated her greatly, and she felt her stomach clench at the thought of walking right into their territory.

Natsu elbowed her. "D'you see that?" he inquired, pointing into what seemed to be the horizon. Lucy narrowed her eyes and saw, at the other end of the town, the tip of a tower. Her stomach leapt up into her throat. Was Natsu making fun of her?

"That's Raijinshuu Castle," Lisanna said. "That's where the royal family lives. Prince Fried is actually having a ball two days from now so he can find a suitable queen, now that he's of wedding age. Everyone in Magnolia is invited, and representatives from all the other towns will be there. If you guys are staying, you should come! I hear it's going to be a lot of fun."

"We should, Lucy!" Natsu grinned. "Maybe your dad'll be there! Or maybe somebody who's seen Igneel! The Raijinshuu live in Raijinshuu Castle too, right? They're supposed to be some of the strongest S-Class mages in Fiore!"

"Really?" Lucy said, reassessing the little bit of tower she could see. Natsu wasn't being cruel after all. He was just pointing something out because he thought she might find it interesting.

"The Raijinshuu aren't the only powerful mages here, either. There's also the Dreyars, who live in Fairy Tail Castle that way." Lisanna pointed to another castle, closer to where they were standing. "Master Makarov Dreyar is the mayor of Magnolia, he's supposed to be super powerful. His grandson, Laxus 'Lighting' Dreyar, is also really powerful, but..."

Lisanna's gaze flickered to Elfman and she lowered her voice so that Natsu and Lucy had to lean in to hear her. "Laxus and Makarov had a dispute a few months ago, and rumor has it that Laxus is living in Raijinshuu Castle right now. People say that Prince Fried is even taking orders from him. He's always kind of admired Laxus, you see, and if he respects him enough to make him is primary adviser or even relinquish his throne to the Dreyar family, then things could get pretty messy."

"Messy? How so?" Lucy inquired, thoroughly enraptured by this local scandal.

"Laxus's idea of a good government is different from the Justines'," Elfman grumbled, crossing his arms and scowling. "He thinks a town should just get rid of all the people who aren't good enough to live there, not pulling their own weight, you know? Instead of running a fair government like the Justines, he'll focus all of his attention on military force and political power. There's even been talk of him trying to convince his old man to recruit outlaws for a militia."

"Like his dad and Makarov's son, Ivan Dreyar," Lisanna whispered. "He was outlawed a few years ago for...what was it again, Elf-bro? I was too young, I can't even remember."

"Murder," Elfman said darkly. "He killed two Rune Knights when he was trying to steal a magic lacrima from the dungeons of Fairy Tail Castle. The old man almost caught him, but he ended up getting away with the lacrima and with his son. That's the maddest I've ever seen the old man. He left to go search for Ivan, and eventually found him. But Ivan got away again, that time only with the lacrima. The old man saved Laxus and raised him. I was only a little kid, so I don't remember all the exact details, but I think they said that Ivan keeps evading him 'cause of some traveling castle he built and called Raven Tail."

Lucy immediately thought of Phantom Lord Castle, but decided that there was no way it could have been a traveling castle. Surely Jose wouldn't have let her out of his sight, and she would have felt the tower move if it had.

A deep roll of thunder interrupted their hushed conversation, and suddenly rain began to pour down on them. "Oh no!" Lisanna cried. "Quick, run that way! You guys can stay with us until the storm ends, it's closer than the hotel!"

The six of them stumbled their way out of the forest and onto the cobblestone streets, which only moments ago bustling with life and merriment. Now, in the midst of the thunder and lightning, they were eerily deserted.


	11. The Woman Of Stone

_I hope that everyone has or is having a happy holiday, and thank you all for reading, reviewing, and favoriting! Can anyone guess what this fairytale is, if you haven't already...?_

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><p><strong>XI. The Woman Of Stone<strong>

Dripping-wet and panting, Lisanna, Elfman, Lucy, Natsu, Happy and Plue finally made it under a small gazebo that was positioned outside the front gates of a pleasant brick house, sitting haphazardly in the niche of a small hill outside the forest, right on the outskirts of Magnolia.

"Welcome to Take Over Manor," Lisanna said with gusto. The house emanated a sense of cozy hospitality. The slim curlicues of the short iron gates looked like they would have spelled out something else, but someone had hung a wooden sign that labeled the place as Take Over Manor. A small, winding dirt path lead up to the whimsical house, which was situated on the hill in such a way that it almost looked like a bunch of small cottages put together. There were several chimneys, four of which were issuing continuous streams of gentle smoke. Lucy could see a soft glow coming from the windows, and a shadow bustling throughout the rooms.

"I hope Mira's cooking something good for dinner," Elfman sighed, glancing down as his stomach grumbled.

"Everything of Mira's is good," Lisanna scoffed, "I just hope she cooked enough food for Natsu and Lucy."

"Who's Mira?" Lucy inquired.

"Our older sister. Come on, you'll love her."

They gathered their stuff and raced up the muddy path to the front door, which opened immediately upon their arrival. Standing there, surprised at the surplus of people she was greeting, was the most beautiful woman Lucy had ever seen.

She looked a lot like Lisanna, with the common white hair and forget-me-not blue eyes, only her hair was long and lustrous, and fell in gentle waves except for a small portion that she had tied up to keep out of her face. Her eyes were kind and warm, giving off a softer vibe than Lisanna's slightly mischievous ones.

However, Mira also looked much abused. Her dress was befitted for a slave, gray and bland and tattered. Her graceful hands were black and calloused, her bare feet equally so. There was something about her that screamed fragile, perhaps even cracked; but not quite broken. It should have made her seem odd, but if anything it only made her more beautiful in a sad, neglected way.

Lisanna smiled, but Lucy could tell that she knew how her sister would appear to them. "Lucy, Natsu, Happy, meet our older sister, Mirajane."

Mirajane gave them an inviting smile and stepped out of the entrance. "Hello! Please, come in, sit by the fire. I wouldn't want you catching a cold! Would you like some tea? Blankets? I'll go get you a change of clothes."

She skittered away, fretting over them until she was out of earshot. Lisanna sighed and ushered them over to the fire while Elfman closed the door against the howling winds. Lucy waited in anticipation for an explanation, but the two siblings didn't offer one. Natsu seemed oblivious that anything was amiss at all.

"Oak!" he cheered, happily making his way over to the fire. To the amazement of everyone but Happy, he took a deep breath and consumed the fire, leaving nothing but two charred logs in the pit.

"Wow!" Lisanna gasped. "How did you do that?"

"I'm a Fire Dragonslayer," Natsu said, smacking his lips contently. "I was raised by a Fire Dragon, so what else would I eat?"

"Oh, I've heard of you! You're the legendary Salamander," Elfman said, giving Natsu a curious look.

"Salamander...aren't you the one looking for the red dragon? Weren't you here a few weeks ago?" Lisanna inquired, blinking in recognition.

"Yeah, there were some sightings of a monster in the forest so I thought, you know, maybe...well, anyway, I didn't find Igneel. I guess I'll have to search somewhere else!"

Elfman nodded. "I remember now. They said someone was asking about a red dragon...they were calling him crazy - " Lisanna cut him off with an elbow to the gut. Natsu's face darkened for a split second, but reverted back so quickly that Lucy thought she had imagined it.

"Ow! I was going to say that only a real man goes with his beliefs no matter what," Elfman finished, pouting.

Mirajane came back inside, supporting at least twelve blankets, a change of clothes, and a silver tray of tea. Lucy started forward to help, but Lisanna put a firm hand on her shoulder and shook her head ever so slightly. She was about to object, but Mira had already set the blankets down on the comfy sofa and was urging them to sit down and put their feet up by the nonexistent fire.

"Oh!" she said when she realized that it was gone. "Well, I guess I'll have find some matches, won't I? They're probably in the kitchen...I'll be right back..." She disappeared once again, leaving them alone in the foyer.

This time Lucy was certain that she was going to get an explanation for the Take Over siblings' strange behavior, but Lisanna simply plucked an outfit from the vast pile of clothes and handed it to Lucy. "That should fit," she said with a smile. To Lucy, it looked a little forced. "You can change in the bathroom, it's that door over there."

A startled Lucy took the clothes that Lisanna shoved into her arms and stumbled over to the bathroom while Lisanna handed Natsu some of her brother's clothes. She frowned at herself in the mirror, closing the door behind her.

There was something strange going on in Take Over Manor. Why had Lisanna held Lucy back from helping Mirajane, when her sister had obviously been struggling with the task at hand? Why was Mirajane so fretful and elusive? It almost seemed as though she was busying herself so that she wouldn't have to talk to her guests, but surely that wasn't the case, was it?

Lucy shook her head to clear it. She was meddling; their business was their business, and she did not need to be sticking her nose in it. Quickly changing into Lisanna's dry clothes, she took her hair down - why did it have to look so horridly lank? - and exited the bathroom.

"Thank you," she said to Lisanna.

"It's no bother! Here, I'll take these so you can sit down and have some tea," Mirajane intervened. The next thing Lucy knew, the wet clothes were out of her hands and she was squished between Natsu, who was picking at Elfman's large clothes in distaste, and Lisanna with a cup of steaming tea in her hands. She caught a glimpse of Mirajane's gray skirts before the efficient white-haired woman had completely disappeared back into the kitchen.

She grabbed Plue and wrapped him up in the blanket with her, as he was shivering more violently than usual. Then she took a sip of the piping tea. It was so delicious, she burnt her tongue in her haste to take another drink.

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" Mirajane inquired when she came back with bowls filled with steaming stew. Lucy took hers gratefully, her mouth watering at the spicy aroma.

"Nope," Natsu answered, his mouth already full of hot stew.

"I insist you stay here, then," Mirajane said, standing up even though she had not touched any of her stew. "I'll go fix your rooms."

"Don't you want to - ?" Lucy began, but Lisanna spilled her piping soup on her lap so that Lucy's question ended with a squeal of pain.

"What was that for?" she hissed, grabbing another blanket and relocating herself between Natsu and Elfman. "That soup was really hot! You could have burned me!"

"Sorry, it was an accident," Lisanna said, widening her eyes in an attempt to look innocent. Lucy gaped at her as she went to go get another bowl. She had half a mind to ask Elfman what on earth was going on, but he seemed to be studiously avoiding her gaze for this particular reason.

"I think you overreacted a little bit, Luce," Natsu chastised, slurping up the dregs of his soup. "It was an accident, so there was no need for you to blame her like that."

"Aye," Happy agreed, looking quite content beside the fire.

Lucy was ready to object, when the door suddenly opened and a warm, wet wind permeated the room. A figure stepped inside, shaking off the rainwater from her hair. Elfman stood up so fast that Lucy lost her grip on her bowl and the soup splattered all over the floor.

A woman sauntered into the room, closing the door and looking livid. Her face was sharp and harsh, very different from the kind, open faces of Mirajane and Lisanna. She wore glasses that were spotted with rainwater, which she cleaned on the hem of her green dress with closed eyes. She put them back on and surveyed the room, her eyes narrowing when she spotted the newcomers.

"Elfman!" she barked. "Who are these people?"

"Just some travelers that got caught in the rain," Elfman said carefully. "We're letting them stay tonight - "

"What is this mess? Where is your sister? Mirajane! Mirajane!" The woman cut Elfman off completely and ignored Lisanna when she rushed into the room, looking horrified. Mirajane came in soon afterward. Lucy noticed that her hands were shaking.

"Who is that?" Lucy whispered to Elfman.

"Evergreen," he said stonily. "She owns this house."

Lucy was about to ask another question, but before she could get the words out Evergreen was descending upon Mirajane with the wooden sign that said _Take Over Manor_, which she had obviously removed from the front gate.

"What is this?" she hissed ruthlessly, sticking the sign in Mirajane's face. "Read this sign to me, Mirajane."

"I - I can't," Mirajane stuttered, "I can't read."

"You know what it says though, don't you?" Evergreen persisted. "Tell me what it says."

"It says...'Take Over Manor.'"

Evergreen nodded and backed off. She paced the room slowly, fingering a splinter on the wooden sign. "Indeed, it does. Guess where I found this sign, Mirajane."

The white-haired girl was silent as she looked at her feet, avoiding Evergreen's gaze. The rest of them watched in equal silence, though Lisanna was covering her face in her hands and Elfman was clenching his jaw.

"Where did I find this sign, Mirajane? Or are you too stupid to answer?"

"Hey!"

Six pairs of eyes snapped in Natsu's direction. He was seething, radiating waves of angry heat. "Don't talk to her like that, she didn't do anything!" he shouted.

Evergreen raised one slim eyebrow and - Lucy couldn't believe her eyes - smirked at him. She then completely bypassed his rage and turned back to Mirajane, who was still staring at Natsu in awe.

"I-It was on the front gates!" she stuttered, turning her attention back to Evergreen, who seemed pleased that Mirajane had finally given an answer.

"Correct. Now, tell me, is there such thing as Take Over Manor?"

"No!" Mirajane said before Natsu could open his mouth. Lucy wasn't sure if she was talking to Evergreen or silencing Natsu at this point.

"What is this house called?"

Mirajane paused, but one quick look at Natsu and she said, "Fairy Queen Palace."

"Exactly," Evergreen said, giving Mirajane a small smile. "You need to do your best to remember that this is my house now, and it is only out of the kindness of my heart that I still let you live here. It is my palace, not your dingy little bed-and-breakfast. And to make sure that you don't forget this fact again..."

Evergreen threw the wooden sign onto the floor and stomped on it with her sharp heel with enough force to split it in half. Mirajane gasped and covered her mouth with her hands; Lisanna shook her head; Elfman clenched his fists, ready to charge at Evergreen.

The cruel bespectacled woman turned to the rest of them. Natsu and Lucy trembled with rage and yearned to speak out, but the warning looks they were receiving from Elfman and Lisanna were enough to stifle any protest they had.

"As for you and your little creatures," Evergreen continued with a snear at Plue and Happy, "you are allowed to stay here tonight, but tomorrow morning you will leave. I don't want any distractions while we prepare for the ball. Speaking of which...Lisanna, Elfman, come to my room so that you can try on your outfits. I need to make sure that there aren't any mistakes."

Lisanna and Elfman silently obeyed, passing their sister without a word. There was a decisive click as Evergreen closed the two younger Take Over siblings in her room. Mirajane sank to her knees in front of the splintered sign and curled over it, covering her face with her hands. She stayed therte until well after the fire had died down to embers and the guests had fallen fast asleep on the couch upon discovering that it was pointless to try and comfort her.


	12. Contracts

_Happy New Year, everyone! 2012, here we come!_

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><p><strong>XII. Contracts<strong>

"What? What do you mean, you're booked?" Lucy gaped at the hotel manager - the fifth hotel manager - that she was speaking to. He rolled his eyes and, with a sigh that said he'd had this conversation twelve times today already, gestured to the piles of luggage that the harassed bellhops were trying to shuffle around.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we've had a lot of people visiting our fair city because of the royal family's ball for the prince. I'm afraid you will have to check into another hotel."

"But this is the last hotel in Magnolia that I haven't checked!" Lucy cried. "All the other ones are booked too!"

"Then I guess you're out of luck," the manager said coldly. "We don't have any rooms to spare, at all; and yes, even the basements are packed. Now, have a good afternoon."

Lucy huffed and wheeled around, as she was clearly being dismissed. Natsu and Happy were waiting for her outside the hotel, since they'd almost burned down the counter at the last one they tried. She shook her head hopelessly when they asked if they had a room.

"Come _on_! Let me go talk to that - " Natsu began, but Lucy held him back.

"No, it's no use. Everywhere's booked because of that stupid ball."

They exchanged a look of meager disappointment. This meant that they would have to go back to Fairy Queen Palace, which they had no desire to do.

When they'd woken up on the couch that morning, the broken sign was gone, Evergreen was gone, and Mirajane was making breakfast as if nothing was amiss. Lucy and Natsu knew better than to bring anything up with her, so they went straight to Lisanna and Elfman and demanded to know what was going on.

The siblings decided that they were as good as involved now, and finally told them the entire story.

Years ago, their house was a bed-and-breakfast run by their parents; until, of course, their parents passed away from a disease. Mirajane before her parent's death had been a very different person: sarcastic, dark, and sometimes even mean.

She'd fallen in love with Laxus Dreyar, the young heir to Fairy Tail Castle, and they began dating like any two rebellious teenagers ought to. Even after her parents' death, Mirajane held the family together with her brute strength.

But then, Lisanna went missing. She'd been walking around in the woods one day and had fallen in a deep cave and hit her head. Everyone was frantic, and after weeks of searching for her the whole town came to believe that she'd died, when in fact she'd been rescued by the Witch of the East Forest, and had been unconsciously recovering.

Mirajane seemed to transform over the weeks without Lisanna. She shed her harsh shell and became kind, gentle, and thoughtful, doing anything to make someone comfortable. However, she'd completely abandoned her duties at the bed-and-breakfast in favor of tirelessly searching for her younger sister. It was up to Elfman to make the money, but he could not run the bed-and-breakfast by himself, nor could he find a more suitable job.

Evergreen, one of the three Raijinshuu, heard the news about Lisanna and Take Over Manor's financial state. Evergreen had always resented Mirajane for dating Laxus, whom she'd long claimed for herself. Using her considerable salary, she purchased Take Over Manor from a starving Elfman and made it her Fairy Queen Palace. She let Elfman and Mirajane stay as long as they kept it clean for her and cooked for her. She bullied Mirajane relentlessly, threatening to use her magic to turn her into stone if Elfman ever intervened.

Eventually, the witch brought Lisanna back fully healed. Mirajane and Elfman were elated, but Mirajane was never the same. She never reverted back to her sterner self.

With this change, she and Laxus became completely incompatible and fell apart. Evergreen grew to resent Mirajane all the more, however, because Laxus had yet to fall in love with her even though his time with Mirajane was over. She bullied Mirajane more than ever, while Elfman and Lisanna could do nothing to stop it for fear of Evergreen turning one or the other into stone. They had no doubts that she would do it, given the chance.

"And now Evergreen won't let her go to the ball, even though she really wants to go," Lisanna had concluded. "She's forcing Elf-bro and me to go, just out of spite. She's really awful to Mira."

Lucy sighed and rubbed her temples, urging the image of Evergreen smashing the sign out of her head. If she and Natsu went back to Fairy Queen Palace, there was no doubt that Evergreen would go berserk and take it out on Mirajane. As much as she didn't want that to happen, Lucy also didn't want to sleep out in the streets.

"What do we do now?" she asked Natsu, who was scowling at the road.

"We don't really have much of a choice but to go back," he mumbled, burying his chin in his scarf sullenly. "I hate how that bitch treats Mira, though."

"Do you think there's anything we can do about it?"

"She can turn someone into stone just by looking at them, Lucy," Happy scolded contemptuously. "Of course there's nothing we can do about it. That's what's so frustrating about this whole thing."

"Mira is a good person," Natsu growled suddenly, a determined light flickering in his eyes. "She doesn't deserve to be treated like that. She should at least be able to go to the ball if she wants to, right?"

"Yeah, but - "

"Then that's what we're going to do!" Natsu exclaimed. He unzipped his pack and dug around in it, searching for something. Lucy gaped as he pulled out two thick, wooden batons. "Lucy, we're going to send Mira to that ball if it's the last thing we do!"

With that he stormed out into the middle of the busy street with a grinning Happy at his heels, leaving Lucy on the sidewalk in complete bewilderment. "Hey!" she called after them, suddenly afraid of what they were planning to do with the heavy rods. "You're not going to hit somebody with those, are you?"

If they heard her, they didn't show it.

"Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls!" Happy boomed, zooming around Natsu's head like a furry blue megaphone. "Behold, the fantastic fiery feats of the spectacularly sparky Salamander himself, Natsu Dragneel!"

The crowd passed by without a glance; that is, until Natsu roared. Fire blossomed from his mouth into the sky, burning with an intense power that made every passerby stop and stare. The batons ignited, and Natsu twirled them around his fingers at a dizzying rate, until they were just two wheels of orange flame. Then he threw them into the air and watched them cartwheel. The audience ogled in awe as he jumped and did a front flip as he caught the batons in midair, stopping their continuous spinning. He landed gracefully on the cobblestones, holding the batons up to show that he was unharmed. Happy whizzed through the crowd with the bag he usually had slung on his back - Lucy saw that people were putting change into it, urging Natsu to do another trick.

Lucy wanted to help. But how could she?

Maybe Natsu would attract more attention with a little bit of music.

She fumbled with her keys until she grabbed Lyra, the Lyre. She held the silver key stupidly in her hand for a moment, unsure of what to do with it. And then she felt a buzzing in her fingertips, crawling up her arm, across her shoulder, settling onto her tongue...

"Open the Gate of the Lyre! Lyra!"

Lucy didn't know what possessed her to say it, but the tingling feeling spread back down her arm and the key grew very hot in her hand and began to glow. Suddenly, standing before her was a very ecstatic girl with long hair and a giant harp strapped to her back.

She suddenly found that she was being strangled by two thin arms.

"I can't believe you actually summoned me, you've never summoned me before, Lucy! I'm so happy to see you I can't even stand it!" Lyra squealed as Lucy struggled to breathe.

"Lyra - you're - suffocating - me!"

"Oh my gosh, you remember my name!" Lyra shrieked, letting Lucy go and gazing at her with tear-filled eyes. "Why didn't you ever call me back so we could make a contract? I thought you'd completely forgotten about me!"

"Of course not, I just - well, let's just say I couldn't get to you," Lucy explained sheepishly. "Um, what exactly is a contract?"

"It's where we discuss the terms of my summoning," Lyra said. "We establish when you can summon me, and for how long, and so on and so forth."

"Oh...well, when do you want to be summoned?"

"I only want to be summoned on the Wednesday of the second week and the Thursday and Friday of the third week in every month," Lyra said, suddenly all business. "Any more than that and I'll go hoarse."

"That's okay with me," Lucy said with a shrug. "It's the second Wednesday, right? Can you play a song for me right now?"

"Of course, anything for you, Lucy!" Lyra cheered, once again peppy. "What do you want me to play? A ballad? An angry song? A song that makes you want to dance? What?"

"Could you play something that's kind of up-beat? I'm trying to attract attention to my friend's fire-juggling act over there," Lucy said, pointing to Natsu, who was now juggling three batons at a rapid pace.

Lyra grinned. "I know the perfect one!" She grabbed her harp and began to strum her fingers across it wildly, releasing a melody of such fluid sound that Lucy felt the sudden compulsion to stamp her feet and spin around. Natsu turned to see where it was coming from and grinned widely.

"Bring her over here, Luce!"

Lyra glided over to where Natsu was juggling and began to sing what sounded like utter nonsense along with her harp. Lucy laughed and joined the people who were clapping along with the tempo, watching Natsu's show.

"_Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo;  
>Put 'em together and what have you got?<br>Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!_

_Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo;_  
><em>It'll do magic believe it or not;<em>  
><em>Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!<em>

_Salagadoola means mechicka booleroo;_  
><em>But the thingmabob that does the job<em>  
><em>Is bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!<em>

_Salagadoola menchicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo;_  
><em>Put 'em together and what have you got?<em>  
><em>Bibbidi-bobbidi bibbidi-bobbidi Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!"<em>

Natsu caught the batons and simultaneously snuffed them out, causing the audience to applaud. Happy made one more round before they all began to depart, struggling under the weight of the jewels in his bag. Lyra zoomed over to Lucy, asking if she did okay.

"You did great, Lyra! Thanks for all your help," Lucy said. She felt a release in the pit of her stomach, and Lyra began to fade away. Her key glowed and became hot again before becoming as inanimate as before.

"That was awesome!" Natsu whooped, jogging over to Lucy with grin on his face. "The best show we've ever had!"

"We made twice as much as we normally do," Happy put in, his eyes growing wide. "We could by a house with all these jewels."

"All thanks to Lucy," Natsu said.

Lucy shook her head, feeling herself flush. "No, I didn't do anything. It was you and Lyra who did all the work. I just stood here and clapped."

"This is great!" Natsu said, relieving Happy of some of his burden. "If we do this tomorrow, we'll get enough jewels to help Mira in no time!"


	13. Ugly

**XIII. Ugly**

Evergreen was not at all happy to see Lucy and Natsu when she returned from Raijinshuu Castle - where she'd been told to report ever since Laxus started living there - but she supposed that since they had looked for a hotel and could not find a room she could lend them a few, just this once. The three Take Over siblings were mildly surprised at this rare act of decency, but eventually attributed it to Evergreen's growing euphoria concerning the ball that was to take place the very next night.

"Are_ you _going?" she asked Lucy, taking in the blonde's curvaceous physique. Lucy looked down at herself too, assessing the shabbiness of her wardrobe.

"No, I wasn't planning to," she replied.

"What? But I thought we were!" Natsu whined, making a face. "I want to meet the rest of the Raijinshuu, and I heard that the food was supposed to be the best ever! Plus, what if somebody there's heard of Igneel? I can't let that opportunity slip by!"

"We don't have anything to wear," Lucy pointed out, knowing very well that, while the money they'd earned was plenty to support Mirajane's funds for the ball, it would not supply all three of them adequately.

"I'll have Mirajane sew you something," Evergreen said, spinning on her heel and gesturing them towards one of the many rooms of Fairy Queen Palace. "She's working on our clothes now -_ what do you think you're doing?_"

Mirajane gasped and wheeled around, hastily trying to cover up the dress she was putting the finishing touches on. It was a masterpiece, along with the two other dresses beside it. But unlike the others, the elegant green one meant for Evergreen and the sleek periwinkle-and-white one made for Lisanna, this one was suited for Mirajane. It was a deep shade of maroon with delicate pink trim, flowing down to the floor in the shape of Mirajane's perfect silhouette.

"I finished everyone else's outfits so I thought that I would make one for me," Mirajane explained, her brow crinkling. "I thought it would be okay if I had time..."

"Of course it's not okay!" Evergreen shrieked, her face turning red. "You're not going to the ball, I already told you!"

"But I just don't understand why - "

"You don't need to know why! I am under no obligation to give you an explanation for my actions! Now rip up that disaster of a dress, you worthless piece of trash!"

"That's enough!" Natsu stepped in front of Evergreen, his fists trembling as he loomed over her. Lucy squeaked inaudibly - she was taken back by the overwhelming heat of his anger. Lisanna and Elfman seemed to be in a state of shock. "Mira is a nice person, and you have no right to bully her or tell her what she can and can't do! Everybody in Magnolia was invited to this ball, so she has as much right to go as you do!"

"Get out my way, brat," Evergreen hissed through her teeth. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Natsu, I think you should listen to her..." Lisanna whispered.

"No! No, I'm not going to listen to her!" Natsu objected, turning on Lisanna. "You know what, you and Elfman are just as bad as she is! Why haven't you done anything by now? There has to be a limit to how many people she can petrify, right? Go get somebody to help you! Take her down!"

"Natsu's right!" Lucy said, stepping up beside him. "Mirajane is a great person, and I know that you are too, Evergreen! You know what you're doing to her is wrong! I know you do!"

"Say another word, and I will turn you both to stone!" Evergreen screeched, her glasses flashing threateningly.

"I'd like to see you try," Natsu taunted with a grin, igniting his fists.

"Natsu, stop it!"

Everyone's attention was drawn to Mirajane, who was covering her ears as tears leaked from her eyes. "Just stop it," she repeated, wiping them away with her arm. "I appreciate you trying to help, but I don't want anybody being hurt because of me. Don't blame Lisanna and Elfman. They're only doing what I asked them to."

She gave them a watery smile and Natsu looked bitterly away as his hands flickered out. Lucy stared at her feet, slumping her shoulders in dejection. Mirajane turned to an enraged Evergreen. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to go to the ball and have some fun - "

"You liar! You wanted to go so you could seduce Laxus again. Well, there's no way that that's ever going to happen," Evergreen snapped. Mirajane opened her mouth to correct her, but the bespectacled woman had already turned to Lucy, who involuntarily flinched away. "I hope you like that dress that Mirajane made, because it's yours now. Also, Mirajane, you're going to make Natsu a suit. I want them done by the time I get home tomorrow, no objections."

With that she barreled out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Mirajane turned to look sadly at her dress one more time. "I worked all day on it," she murmured, seemingly forgetting that the others were present. "I thought that maybe if she saw that it was already done...well, it doesn't matter. Lucy, step up here so I can alter it for you. If you don't like it, I can change it too."

"No, Mirajane, that's your dress!" Lucy said, shaking her head. "You should be able to wear it to the ball! I can buy my own dress, and you can sneak out after Evergreen leaves - "

"That's not going to work," Mirajane sighed. "She'll check up on me now, to see if I'm doing what I'm supposed to. Besides, she'd see me at the ball and throw another fit."

"No, she wouldn't," Lisanna said, "it's a masquerade."

"It is? Oh no, I have to make masks for you all!" Mirajane scurried about the room for materials before remembering that Lucy and Natsu were in need of clothes. She shoved Lucy into the dress and practically began pulling her clothes off. When Lucy protested, she instead busied herself with ushering everyone else out of the vicinity, promising Natsu that she would focus on his suit tomorrow.

Natsu scowled at the door after she slammed it in his face. "This isn't right, Happy," he said, looking down at his blue friend.

"Aye," Happy agreed, "but what can we do about it?"

"Nothing, Natsu, don't do anything at all," Lisanna cautioned. "I know you're trying to help, but you're only making things worse. If Evergreen gets even an inkling of suspicion that you're planning on helping Mira, she'll petrify you and use you as a garden gnome. I know how you're feeling, Natsu, trust me I know, but you have to promise me you won't do anything about it. Please, promise me?"

"...Fine," Natsu spat after a long pause, "I won't do anything to help."

Lisanna breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow she knew that Natsu was not the kind of person who broke promises. She and Elfman hurried into the foyer before Evergreen had time to wonder what was taking them so long, but Natsu stayed behind, silently glaring at the adjacent wall. Happy watched him expectantly, saw the wheels turning in Natsu's head...

If he knew his friend as well as he thought he did, then there was no way that Mirajane was going to miss the ball at Raijinshuu Castle tomorrow night.


	14. Loopholes

**XIV. Loopholes**

Lucy nervously shuffled along busy Magnolia marketplace, clutching Natsu's bag in her hands and jumping every time she accidentally bumped into anyone. How could Natsu expect this of her? It was one thing poking around Magnolia with him at her side, but entirely alone Lucy was a wreck. She felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack. There were so many people here, none of whom she knew nor would consider particularly friendly-looking.

She thought back to their hurried conversation at Fairy Queen Palace, just after Evergreen had left for her protection duty at Raijinshuu Castle. He'd pulled her aside and shoved the purse full of jewels in her hands, much to her astonishment.

"What is this - ?"

"Listen, Lucy, you have to go shopping for Mira," Natsu interrupted her urgently. "I can't go with you since Mira'll be working on my suit. She's working with Elfman's suit today too - since I 'accidentally' ripped it up last night - and I've got Happy on Lisanna duty. But you have to go buy a dress and stuff for Mira so she can go to the ball. Use that money."

"Natsu! I thought we already established that Mirajane can't go to the ball, no matter what we do! Besides, didn't you make Lisanna a promise that you wouldn't interfere anymore?"

"I told her that _I_ wouldn't do anything," Natsu corrected slyly, "but I said absolutely nothing about you. C'mon, if you won't do it for me, at least do it for Mirajane. You know she deserves to go to this ball thing, and I've got it all planned out so nobody ever has to know she went."

Lucy sighed, turning the corner. Natsu surely didn't think that no one would notice Mirajane at the ball, did he? Even if it was a masquerade. And this wasn't nearly enough money to cover all the expenses...Lucy had only purchased shoes and a cute little bracelet she thought Mirajane would like, and already the funds were barely enough to pay for a dress and mask. Who was going to do her makeup? Her hair? And what about transportation?

Screeching to a stop, Lucy looked around the street. With a horrifying sinking feeling in her stomach, she realized that she had no idea where she was. Of course, just another thing for her to worry about!

She spotted a tall blonde man loitering at the barrier that ran along the canal and decided to ask him for directions to the nearest dress shop.

"E-excuse me," she said, tapping on his shoulder. He turned and gave Lucy the most menacing glare she had ever seen, magnified by the jagged scar that ran down his face. Lucy immediately regretted selecting him and was about to dodge out of the conversation, but the man had already taken off his headphones and was looking at her expectantly.

"What do you want?"

"I was just wondering...do you know where I can buy a nice dress? I don't live in Magnolia, so I have absolutely no idea where to go..."

The man snorted. "Good luck finding a place that isn't already cleaned out. You do realize that the ball's _tonight_, right?"

"Yeah..." Lucy sighed in disappointment. "I was just wondering on the off chance that there was a good dress...you see, mine got ruined so I, um, don't have anything to wear..."

The man considered her for a moment, then shrugged. "Bisca's Boutique is around that corner, if you want something cheap. She's from out West though, so her clothes are pretty strange sometimes. Or," he grinned maliciously, "I'm sure that there's a dress at Raijinshuu Castle that you can have for free. If you'll be my date to the ball."

"Raijinshuu Castle?" Lucy repeated, startled. "Wait, who exactly are you?"

"I'd expect you to know _that_ at least, even if you aren't from Magnolia," the man scoffed. "I'm Laxus Dreyar, or some people know me as the Lightning Dragonslayer."

"Dragonslayer!" Lucy gasped.

"I can see you've heard of them," Laxus grinned cockily, "but back to the matter at hand. What d'you say? Be my girl, and I'll give you a dress."

Lucy contemplated this for a moment, but shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll just stop by Bisca's and see what I can find. I...think I already have a date," she added, her thoughts wandering to Natsu. He'd never officially asked her to the ball, of course, but he'd insinuated that they were going together. Definitely not as a couple, but as...what was that word he'd used? Oh, right - nakama.

"Your loss," Laxus shrugged, turning back to the water and putting on his headphones, which were blaring rock music. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw a flash of what looked like green fabric; then she remembered that Evergreen was one of the Raijinshuu, the guard dedicated solely to the purpose of serving Laxus.

Without a backward glance, she sped in the direction that Laxus had indicated and eventually found Bisca's Boutique, a quaint little shop that consisted mainly of cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and colorful bandannas. Lucy didn't feel confident as she walked inside, but Bisca, the owner, was very helpful and eventually found her a dress that Lucy thought was almost identical to the one that Mirajane had been creating. Perhaps she had even based her design on this one?

"You want it fitted, hon?" the green-haired shop owner inquired in her soft Southern drawl as she tenderly removed the dress form the mannequin.

"No, I'm picking it up for a friend," Lucy explained, shaking her head. "We'll do all the fitting when I get home. And, um...do you know where I could get a mask to match this? I don't really know my way around very well..."

Bisca immediately flushed, and at first Lucy thought she'd made her upset. But once the cowgirl's violent blush began to fade and she regained the ability to articulate, she said, "Yes, just go right across the street to Alzack's Accessories and he'll get you all settled 'n such."

Lucy raised her eyebrows and took the box that the gown was neatly folded in. "Thanks so much for all your help, Bisca."

"No problem, please come again," Bisca said. "Oh, a-and Lucy?"

"Yes?"

"When you go to Alzack's, could you...could you mention to him that Bisca sent you?"

Lucy gave the scarlet-faced cowgirl a sideways smile, her prior suspicions confirmed. "Sure, no problem. Have a nice day!"

"Yeah," Bisca muttered, twisting a bit of green hair around her finger. "You too, Lucy."

Alzack's Accessories & Ammunition was much like Bisca's Boutique: merchandise with a Western flair and something to attract both the potential male and female clientele, as Lucy had seen more than one gun on display at Bisca's. Alzack, an quiet cowboy, was equally kind and shy as his neighbor. When Lucy mentioned Bisca's name, she noticed that he became a tad too interested in the pistol he was inspecting.

Lucy made her way around the store until she found a lacy pink mask dotted with glittering garnets in hand. It worked with Mirajane's dress flawlessly; Lucy wouldn't have been surprised to learn that Alzack and Bisca had worked on the designs together. Now all she needed was the _pièce de résistance_, the final touch that would tie everything together.

After several minutes of aimless meandering, she eventually found it: a teardrop-shaped sapphire on a golden chain. It was so pretty, and even though it didn't match seamlessly with Mirajane's outfit, Lucy had a feeling that it would work somehow.

She was about to reach for it when another necklace beside it caught her eye. It was a thick golden chain supporting a large ornate key that had the appearance of a crustacean and the Zodiac symbol for Cancer.

Lucy gasped, remembering what Jose had said about the golden keys, that they were special and powerful, that you didn't need to be a Celestial mage to use them, that they carried the soul of a cursed person.

That there were only twelve in existence.

Lucy called Alzack over, gesturing to the key. "What is this?" she asked, peering at it more closely through the glass.

"That's a necklace I got a while ago," Alzack said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Some guy gave it to me and told me it was one of a kind, and that it used to belong to Queen Layla Heartphilia of Love and Lucky. I didn't really believe _that_, but it still looked pretty cool and it turned out to be real gold. So I bought it from him. Why, are you a Cancer?"

"Yeah," Lucy said absently, her heart sinking as she looked at the price. She had enough money to pay for it right now, but it would clean her out entirely. If she bought Cancer's key, then she wouldn't be able to buy the sapphire necklace or pay for Mirajane to get her hair and makeup done. Besides, it wasn't even her money. It was Natsu's, he earned it, and he'd told her what to buy with it.

But...it was a Zodiac key! There were only twelve in existence! And, if Alzack's information was right, it had belonged to her mother. Lucy couldn't bare the thought of it dangling uselessly from somebody's throat. What about that poor soul trapped inside? How long had it been hibernating, waiting for someone to come and release it from it's quarantine? Lucy remembered being trapped in the tower for every day of her life; was Cancer experiencing that right now?

"Alzack, can I get you to hold this key for me?" Lucy inquired.

But Alzack shook his head. "Sorry, Lucy, I ain't holdin' nothin' for no one. It ain't fair for other people who might want that key, in my opinion."

"Right," Lucy sighed. "Well...I guess...I'll get the neck - the key! I'll get the key!"

Alzack gave her a strange look as he went behind the counter and extracted Cancer's key. Lucy almost threw up as she handed him Natsu's money, she felt so guilty. But surely Natsu would understand? And, besides, some of the money did belong to her. Lyra had done a good deal to help Natsu out. Happy had said they'd earned twice as much as they usually did, after all.

She walked out of Alzack's Accessories & Ammunition with a light purse and a heavy heart, desperately hoping that Natsu would see things her way.


	15. Welcome To The Masquerade

**XV. Welcome To The Masquerade**

Natsu didn't want to hear anything Lucy had to say until they had safely smuggled in Mirajane's royal ball attire, packing it safely under Lucy's bed. He flopped down on it with a loud sigh, looking utterly exhausted.

"I hate fittings!" he complained. "I'm never going to another stupid ball ever again, no matter how much food there is!"

"Natsu, listen. I have to tell you something," Lucy said urgently. She gave a descriptive account of the prominent highlights of her shopping trip, starting with Laxus and ending with Alzack. She felt anxiety bubbling up in her stomach; surely Natsu would be mad about the money.

However, that seemed to be the least of his concerns. "Laxus has got to be lying," he declared passionately, frowning up at the ceiling. "Lisanna and Elfman said that he was raised by his gramps, right? Then he can't be a Dragonslayer, because he would have had to learn the magic from a dragon, and that would've taken years and years of extensive training from when he was a little kid. Besides, I've never heard of a Lightning Dragon before."

Lucy shrugged, having little to say on the subject.

"So you got a new key, huh?" Natsu exclaimed after a moment of silence. "Well, let me see it! It's a golden key?"

"Wait, you're not mad that I spent - ?"

Natsu waved a dismissal hand. "Whatever, we're traveling together so it doesn't really matter whose money is whose. As long as that key you got is cool. It's a crab, right? I want to see the crab!"

"Crab, crab!" Happy chanted.

"O-okay..." Lucy said, extracting Cancer's key from her bag. She took it off its chain, and again she felt that sensation in her fingertips, zipping up her arm and right onto the tip of her tongue, telling her what to say. "_Open the Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer_!"

The golden key became hot in her hand and glowed, then, with a pop, Cancer stood in the center of the room. He looked part human, part crab: his skin was an odd, leathery reddish-brown, and he had six crustacean legs attacked to his back. In each had was a pair of long, sharp scissors.

"What can I do for you, ebi?" he said in a chill voice.

Natsu and Happy looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Shut up!" Lucy hissed, glaring at them. "You're going to make someone suspicious! And that's really rude, you know!"

"S-sorry," Natsu wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye, "I just...wasn't expecting..._ebi_? Really?" This made him and Happy collapse in another fit of giggles, to which Lucy resigned herself with having to deal with and turned back to Cancer.

"Hi, I'm Lucy," she said with a smile. "Lucy Heartphilia. You might have known my mother, but I'm not sure if that's true or not..."

"I knew Layla," Cancer confirmed sadly, snipping his scissors together rapidly as he talked. "She was great. You must be her daughter, ebi."

"Yup," Lucy said. "Do you...do you know exactly what happened to my mom?"

"Not exactly. I know that she died about seven years ago, the year 777, on July 7, ebi," Cancer began, but he was interrupted by Natsu, who had suddenly snapped into attention.

"July 7, 777?" he repeated. "Lucy, that's the day that Igneel disappeared!"

"Weird. Do you think it's a coincidence?"

"I dunno...hey, crab-guy, d'you know anything about dragons?"

"No," Cancer said. "Just Layla, ebi."

"What about my twin brother? Or my father?" Lucy continued.

"Loke was pretty upset when your mother died, but I never met King Heartphilia," Cancer answered. "Loke kept me for a while and even used me occasionally. He doesn't have Celestial magic, but he can still use me because I'm a Zodiac. He had three other golden keys that he inherited from Layla: Aquarius, Capricorn, and Leo, but I haven't seen them in years, ebi."

"What happened that made Loke give you up?"

Cancer shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, ebi."

"Crab-guy, what exactly do you do?" Happy asked, inspecting Cancer's scissors with suspicion. Cancer smiled and twirled the tools around dangerously, nearly cutting off Happy's ear in the process.

"I'll show you, ebi," he said. He grabbed Lucy and sat her down on a chair. Lucy heard the unmistakable click of scissors and her hair gently being pulled around. Then Cancer pulled a little round mirror from his pocket and thrust it under her nose. "What do you think, ebi?"

Lucy squealed with joy. "It's perfect! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"You only do hair?" Natsu said critically, eyeing Lucy's new-and-improved hairstyle. It was a bunch of blonde hair tied with a ribbon on the side of her head. "That's kind of a waste."

Cancer's scissors were suddenly at his spiky pink 'do, hovering threateningly over his scalp. "Never underestimate the horrors of a bad haircut, ebi."

"R-right..."

"Natsu, this is great!" Lucy said. "Don't you see? Cancer can do Mirajane's hair! Buying the key was actually beneficial to someone other than me after all!"

"I guess," Natsu muttered, running a hand through his hair self-consciously.

Lucy made a contract with Cancer, officially employing his services and sending him back to the Celestial Spirit world until Mirajane needed him. She hooked him to the keyring on her belt with a smile on her face. She now had three beautiful keys.

As evening swiftly stretched over Magnolia's streets, Natsu and Happy went over the plan with Lucy, polishing the finer points of the equation. Soon, their marvelous scheme seemed like there was no possible way it could wrong - unless, of course, they were caught. But the trio decisively left that scenario alone.

"Come on, guys, it's time to get ready for the ball!" Lisanna said, bursting into the room some time later. Though she was angry and disappointed that her older sister was not going, Lucy could understand why Lisanna was unable to keep the anticipation at bay. Despite herself, Lucy felt a growing sense of excitement in her core. Her first ball!

However, two hours of prepping with Lisanna, Evergreen, and Mirajane left Lucy feeling as though she had already danced the night away. Mirajane made the last adjustments to her dress in silence; the white-haired woman's gloom was probably lessened by the fact that Evergreen was too busy to insult her. Lucy had to admit, Mirajane put on a very brave face. Though she must have been seething with jealousy of her family and guests, she was as kind and cheerful as ever.

When the dresses, hair, and makeup were finally all finished, the three women admired themselves in the mirror while Mirajane sat patiently on the sidelines.

Evergreen was decked out the most extravagant of the three dresses: it was a masterpiece of epic proportions, layers and layers of fabric ranging in shades of the richest emerald to the deepest jade to the brightest lime, flowing gracefully down to her feet. She had a fan that she hid behind coyly, fluttering her eyelids beyond her glasses. Her hair was down for once, held away from her face by glittering golden clips and cascading down her back in bushy ringlets.

Lisanna's look was much simpler. She wore a periwinkle dress with crossed straps and long, white, billowing skirts. Around her waist she had tied a pale pink sash, and in her sleek helmet of hair were small rose jewels to match.

Mirajane had done much altering to Lucy's dress, and now it looked completely different. The pink embellishments were entirely gone, leaving a simple maroon canvas. The neckline was a plummeting V, and there was a slit up the right side all the way up to Lucy's thigh. Lucy had a black leather garter around that thigh for her keys; she didn't feel right leaving them behind. Mirajane had done her hair in an elegant twist, saying that, while Lucy's ponytail had been cute, it did not suit the occasion nor the dress.

"You've done a great job, Mira. Thank you," Lisanna said gently, giving her sister a sympathetic smile.

"Yes, I suppose it will do," Evergreen said primly. The three other women couldn't help but grin at each other. Coming from Evergreen, _it will do_ was high praise.

Evergreen, Lisanna, and Lucy began making their way back to the foyer. Lucy turned around when she realized that Mirajane was not behind her; only to see the white-haired woman standing silently in front of the mirror, looking down at her feet. She saw something drop from the tip of Mirajane's chin, and decided to give her the privacy she deserved.

Elfman and Natsu were waiting impatiently for them to arrive. Lucy was surprised at how debonair they both looked, though Elfman seemed slightly out of place in his dark green suit and bow tie, but that was to be expected. His sheer size alone was awkward when placed in a suit, but the fact that he didn't wear a shirt half of the time didn't make the situation any more comfortable for him. Still, for what it was worth, Lucy thought he cleaned up nicely. Evergreen seemed to think so too, because it became apparent to everyone after she handed him her fan and took his arm that she was expecting Elfman to be her escort to the ball.

Lucy gave a little start when she saw Natsu. She honestly hadn't couldn't picture him in anything other than his customary puffy pants, his scaly scarf, and that excuse for a shirt he always wore, but now he had completely done away with all that. In its place was a black tuxedo, something that Natsu even managed to look casual in. That might've had something to do with the fact he had no tie, and that his jacket was unbuttoned - Evergreen was shooting him daggers, as she obviously thought this was a preposterous look, unworthy of Prince Fried's extravagant ball. Lucy, however, felt that it suited him perfectly.

Her ego was mildly wounded when Natsu failed to register that she had dressed herself up at all; he treated her just the same as he always did, with a that goofy grin on his face. "You guys ready to go?" he asked, holding an arm out for Lucy and the other for Lisanna. The girls shared a smirk and walked on ahead, completely ignoring his outstretched arms. Making a face, Natsu followed.

"What do you think the ball will be like?" Lisanna inquired absently as they climbed into the horse-drawn carriage that awaited them outside the gates of Fairy Queen Palace. Lucy and Natsu shrugged, having never been to a ball. Elfman muttered something that sounded distinctly like "unmanly" before Evergreen cut him off.

"It's going to be the grandest ball in Fiore, just you wait," she said exuberantly as the coach snapped the reigns and the horses started forward at a trot. "The decorations are top-of-the-line, the food is exquisite, we've rented the best musicians. Everything is going to be perfect."

Natsu and Lucy raised their eyebrows at each other, barely containing a smile. They doubted that Evergreen's definition of perfect included her self-imposed rival, Mirajane.

As the carriage neared the looming figure of Raijinshuu Castle, the party put on their masks. Lucy's was simple black lace, nothing too intricate. Natsu's and Elfman's were similar, simple masks made of black fabric. Lisanna's bared resemblance to rosy butterfly, and Evergreen's looked like an assortment of lush green leaves.

The castle was crowded with people; evidently they were relatively late. "Fashionably so," Evergreen said when Lucy pointed this out.

They paid the coachman and followed Evergreen as she hacked through the crowd with her elbows and her boisterous proclamations that she was of the Raijinshuu and that everyone should move aside to let her pass. Eventually they arrived to the castle and into the spacious ballroom. Lucy stifled a gasp.

Evergreen had been right: the ballroom must have been the finest in Fiore. Everything oozed wealth, from the diamond chandelier hanging on the ceiling to the glittering marble floors on which people were twirling along with the gentle music. No expense had been spared on the food: there were tables and tables of it circling the walls of the room, each delicacy cradled on a golden platter. The people were perhaps as grand as the decor, though it was easy to tell the aristocrats from the common folk by the amount of finery they flounced.

"I have to find Laxus and the other Raijinshuu, but I'll be back momentarily," Evergreen said before disappearing into the crowd. The rest of them were stranded in the middle of the ballroom floor, at a complete loss of what to do.

"I'm going to go try some food!" Natsu said, making his way over to the tables.

Lucy sighed. "Of course, that's the first thing he does."

"You want to dance, Elf-bro?" Lisanna asked, turning to her brother with a grin. "Have some brother-sister bonding time while we're here, at least?"

"At your own risk," Elfman warned, taking Lisanna's small hand in his own and tugging her onto the dance floor, leaving Lucy surrounded by masked people she didn't recognize. She turned her head this way and that, but saw no sign of Natsu or Evergreen or even Elfman and Lisanna, although they had only departed seconds ago. She felt a tightness in her chest, as if something was squeezing her lungs together. The music seemed to die down, and the conversations and voices of the people grew louder...so many people, all too close to her. Sweat beaded up on her forehead; it was much too hot in here. She needed fresh air, something to help her breathe. She needed -

"Luce?"

Lucy spun around to see Natsu staring at her, a plate piled high with food in each hand. He looked mildly concerned behind his mask, but he was familiar, someone she knew. "Natsu!" she cried in relief, feeling the temporary tightness of her chest dissipate.

"You okay? You seem a bit...tense," Natsu said.

"I guess I'm just not used to the concept of people yet," Lucy replied, looking around at the overwhelming crowd. "Claustrophobic."

Natsu grinned at her mischievously, setting down the plates. "You should master your fear, Lucy, 'cause you'll have parties or whatever when you go to live with your dad in Acalypha. The Heartphilia Kozern is a pretty rich company."

"What do you mean, _master my fear_? Hey - where are you taking me?"

"C'mon, I like this song! Let's dance!" Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and tugged her onto the dance floor just as the orchestra began a fast, jovial tune. It seemed to be a favorite among the Magnolian people, who began to cheer and whoop and clap their hands. Natsu spun Lucy and grabbed her waist, leading her in a complicated step that she could barely keep up with. He spun her again and she was suddenly dancing with Elfman, who seemed to be enjoying himself despite his previous protest that the ball was unmanly. His hands completely engulfed hers as he hopped in circles on the dance floor with her. He wasn't nearly as agile a dancer as Natsu, but he was still a native Magnolian and Lucy was having trouble keeping up...

For the third time she was spun, and this time she ended up in the arms of someone she didn't even recognize: a prim looking man with long green hair and a sharp face behind his mask. His steps were measured and precise, despite the fact that the song was obviously made for enjoyment and not technique.

"Hello," he said pleasantly as Lucy frowned down at her feet, struggling to move them in synchronization with his, "are you enjoying my party, miss?"

"Your party?" Lucy said, snapping her head up to gape at him. "So you're Prince - ?"

But she was being spun in another graceful circle, and this time she found herself in the arms of someone she did recognize but wasn't entirely pleased to see: Laxus Dreyar, the self-proclaimed Lightning Dragonslayer.

"Hey there, I don't think I caught your name earlier," Laxus grinned. Evidently, he recognized her too.

"Lucy."

"Nice to see you, Lucy," Laxus said, lowering her into a smooth dip. "I see you found a dress. And I must say, it's quite vivacious; I'm kind of glad you didn't take up my offer now. But there's always a second chance, huh? What d'you say, you want to entertain me for the rest of the night?"

"No, thanks," Lucy replied coldly.

Laxus spun her around, but instead of handing her off to another partner he pulled her close to his body until there was not an inch between them. "You sure about that?" he whispered in her ear, nipping at her earlobe with his teeth. Lucy shuddered.

"Get off me," she said, struggling to unrest herself from his iron grip. Laxus shrugged and let her go, upsetting her center of balance and causing her to fall backward. Someone caught her, their muscular arms sliding easily around her waist. She looked up to see Natsu glaring at Laxus as the Lightning Dragonslayer stalked away.

"Thanks," she sighed as he hoisted her up.

"Let me guess: Laxus?" Natsu said, frowning in the blonde man's direction.

"Yeah, he was just being a jerk."

"I don't like him," Natsu declared, crossing his arms like some stubborn child. Lucy felt her face grow warm and her mouth involuntarily twitch upward into a smile.

"Is it because he was flirting with me?" she asked coyly.

Natsu gave her a baffled look. "Why would it be because of that? No, I definitely think he's lying about being a Dragonslayer. He smells weird. Almost...unnatural, like a machine."

Lucy pursed her lips and gave Natsu an I-can't-believe-you're-so-dense look, but was interrupted by someone's amazed gasp and several fingers pointing in the direction of the doorway. She and Natsu turned that way too, and their eyes widened in disbelief.

There, looking more beautiful than ever and utterly unrecognizable in a great flowering mask that covered nearly her entire face, was Mirajane.


	16. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo

**XVI. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo**

Mirajane sighed as she watched the carriage depart down the road and out of sight, towards the great building that was Raijinshuu Castle. She knew that if she wanted to hate Evergreen nobody would blame her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She wished that she could hate someone. Anyone. However, Mirajane knew from experience that hate only led to disaster.

But she really wanted to go to this ball! If she could just go out this one time with the rest of them and enjoy herself, truly enjoy herself, she felt that she could stand to live forever in this house and do chores for Evergreen.

"Mira?"

She wheeled around, hastily swiping at her puffy red eyes. "Happy! I didn't realize you were still here! I guess you didn't want to go to the ball, did you?"

"No, not really," Happy replied. "They probably wouldn't allow me in anyway. But I do have a surprise for you, Mira. It's actually from Natsu."

Mirajane narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"

Happy gestured her to follow him and led her into Lucy's room. He ducked under the bed and pulled out several packages with various store labels. "Oh, no," Mirajane said, backing out of the room. "I know where this is going, and I'm not leaving here to go to the ball! Someone will recognize me! Besides, didn't Natsu promise to stay out of it?"

"Natsu did, but Lucy and I didn't," said Happy slyly. "Lucy bought all this, and I'm helping you get to the ball. You and I both know you're going, Mira, so there's no use putting it off any longer."

Mirajane gave the cat a look and sighed in surrender, because he was right. She was digging up empty excuses that she hoped - no, that she _knew_ - he would find a way around. Happy grinned widely and ushered her into the bathroom, where he drew her a warm bath and ordered her to wash away all of the ash that coated her hands and feet from her many nights of sleeping on the hearth. She scrubbed herself raw and stepped out of the porcelain bathtub, examining her pale, silky skin. It looked so different, now that she was clean.

"Here," Happy said, coming into the bathroom with his eyes closed and handing her a towel. "Dry off, then you can come change into your dress."

Mirajane wrapped the towel around her shower-soft skin and followed the cat out of the bathroom and into Lucy's room, where he had the largest of the boxes waiting for her. She unwrapped the dress and gasped when the maroon fabric and pink frills unfurled to the floor. "This is almost exactly like the one I sewed!" she exclaimed, winding her dripping-wet hair into the towel before sliding the dress on. It felt good to be wearing something other than the gray rags she usually did.

"Yeah, Lucy found it at some boutique," Happy explained, waiting politely with his back turned for Mirajane to finish. He turned around and grinned. "Wow, Mira, you look a lot different already. Come on, let's get you all dolled up."

He brushed her long white hair and towel dried it, then took out a large golden key. "Here goes nothing," he muttered, holding the key into the air and reciting the incantation Lucy had taught him. "_Open the Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!_"

The golden key glowed burning hot in his hand, and Happy felt a tug in his gut as if his magic power was being pinched out of him. It was a very unpleasant sensation, and Happy was quite glad when it was over and Cancer was standing in the middle of the room, twirling his scissors.

"Where's Lucy, ebi?"

"She's already gone to the ball like we planned, remember?" Happy said. He gestured to Mirajane, who was staring at Cancer in befuddlement. It was not every day that crustacean-like people popped up in the middle of your house from a key, but she decided to go along with it. Lucy had mentioned that she was a mage; perhaps this was her magic? Not that Mirajane had ever seen such a thing.

Cancer seemed to understand, and scuttled over to Mirajane, testing out her hair and snipping with his scissors. Soon her white waves were twisted and braided into an intricate up-do, much to her amazement. Cancer also did her makeup, something else that he had quite a flair for - though Mirajane politely asked if he could let go of his scissors first - and, for the finishing touch, gently placed the mask on her face.

Happy gaped at her when the crab was all finished and had returned back to where ever he came from. "Wow, you're beautiful," he whispered.

Mirajane cautiously made her way to the full-body mirror and watched a gorgeous creature blink back at her in surprise. Her ivory skin was in flawless contrast to the gentle pinks and rich bloodred of her dress, the soft slope of her shoulders accentuated by the hair piled onto her head. Her face was shielded behind a red rose in full bloom, enameled with glittering violet jewels.

But surely, this was not Mirajane. This was a supernatural creature: perhaps a bright, heavenly angel, or an enrapturing, seductive siren. Mirajane could not decide which. When Mirajane moved, this creature moved. When she blinked, the creature blinked.

"Okay, Mira," Happy said, snapping out of his daze. "Here's the plan. I'm going to fly you to Raijinshuu Castle and wait for you out of sight. Evergreen said that the ball was over at midnight, so you have to leave before then so I can get you home before the others, so that way we don't get in trouble. When you're at the party, try not to bump into Evergreen but don't obviously avoid her either. We don't want to raise her suspicions. And try not to let Lisanna and Elfman know your identity either; just a precaution. The less they know, the better."

"Got it," Mirajane said, nodding. She could feel the bubble of excitement rising in her stomach. She was really going to the ball! "Let's go, Happy. I'm ready."

Flying with Happy was smooth and made Mirajane feel invigorated. It wiped away the last of her uncertainty, and by the time they landed on the borders of Raijinshuu Castle she was thrilled. "Here I go," she whispered, smiling down at the wheezing blue cat. "Thank you for everything, Happy."

Happy waved her on, wiping sweat from his furry blue brow; he'd had to fly all the way across Magnolia Town, and he'd never really appreciated how far that distance was.

Mirajane walked down the path towards the grand doors of Raijinshuu Castle. No one questioned her as to why she was inexcusably late to the Prince of Fiore's royal ball; the guards stopped and stared as she walked by, making her very self-conscious. Her extravagant glass slippers clicked with each step, and her heart skipped a beat when she made it to the final one and laid eyes on the ballroom.

Tears sprang into her eyes at the very sight of it. Oh, it was beautiful. She was so busy admiring it that it took her a moment to notice how everyone had turned to look at her and they were pointing, gaping, their jaws dropping. Mirajane blushed at their shamelessness. She turned her head and rushed down the steps, only to be met by an entourage of men.

"Madam, would you like to dance?"

"Please, let me go get you some punch..."

"Don't you see she's cold? Here, take my jacket, miss..."

Mirajane stuttered a refusal to each offer, making her way around the group of men. She didn't recognize many of them. Though she did see Elfman amongst the fuss, he wasn't trying to court her. He was dancing with Evergreen, and they both seemed to be trying to lead. She momentarily caught Laxus's eye and could've sworn he did a double-take, but surely he didn't recognize her. She wheeled around and rammed right into Natsu. Lucy peered at her from behind him, her eyes wide behind her mask.

"Alright, leave her alone," Natsu said to the men, taking Mirajane by the shoulders and steering her away from them. "She just got here, give her some time to breathe."

"Hey, why do you get her then?" A man with a pipe in his mouth cried.

"Wakaba's right! You already got a babe behind you, so back off!"

Natsu deposited Mirajane beside Lucy, shielding her from the restless group of men. He grinned at them and pounded his fist into his hand. "You guys want to fight? I'm ready!"

"There will be no fighting here. If you are to brawl, go home."

A man with long green hair stepped out of the muttering group, looking mildy irritated. With a start, Mirajane realized that it was Prince Fried himself. She remembered seeing him when she was with Laxus, always glowing with admiration and pride that the great Lightning Dragonslayer had taken him under his wing. She remembered thinking how ridiculous that was, that someone who would one day rule the entire country would willingly obey the orders of the mayor's grandson.

Now, Prince Fried showed no such vulnerability. He was alive with confidence, and his firm gaze caused every man to wander away. Natsu appraised the prince for a moment and shrugged, grabbing Lucy's hand and tugging her out of sight.

"Hello," Fried said pleasantly, dipping into a graceful bow. "I am Prince Fried Justine. Welcome to my home."

He did not sound boastful when he said these words, like Mirajane was sure anyone else would. The prince sounded perfectly courteous, as if he were just stating a simple fact. Mirajane returned his bow with a courtsy and, knowing full well that it would be stupid of her to give her real name, as Prince Fried was the head of the Raijinshuu, she said, "Thank you very much. My name is Cinderella."

Calling Mirajane 'Cindergirl' had once been a favorite pastime of Evergreen's. She'd long outgrown the immature ridicule, moving on to much crueler means of tormenting Mirajane, but there was something about that name that stuck in her head. She didn't know what had come over her, but she knew that Cinderella had to be her fake identity, because, truthfully, her duties as a cinder-girl had become a big part of her, defined who she was.

Prince Fried gave her a small smile and held out a hand, bringing Mirajane back to reality. "Would you like to dance with me, Cinderella?"

"I'd be delighted," Mirajane said, ignoring the slightly disappointed squeeze of her heart when he addressed her by her alias. She took his hand, which was big and warm around hers, and he took her waist.

And they began to dance.


	17. The Stroke Of Midnight

**XVII. The Stroke Of Midnight**

Laxus Dreyar and his one Raijinshuu member who wasn't dancing, a bevisored man by the name of Bixlow, sat by and watched the proceedings of the ball with languid apathy. No one noticed that Laxus sat on the throne intended for the king as if it were something as natural as breathing. He'd taken off his lightning-shaped mask and was twirling it around his finger, observing Fried and the mysterious, beautiful woman whom he'd been dancing with for most of the night. The prince was supposed to dance with every girl there, as was custom at any ball so that he may scout for prospective brides, but Fried seemed inclined to ignore that rule tonight; something as un-Fried-like as fingerpainting. Fried always followed the rules down to the last exclamation point.

This stirred a bit of unease within Laxus. He could not have the leader of his Raijinshuu deciding to act up tonight of all nights. Everything needed to go exactly as planned, and if there was even one glitch, one mistake, then all would be lost.

Nearly as unsettling was the fact that Bixlow, who was the exact opposite of Fried in every aspect, seemed to be following all of the rules tonight. He stood loyally by Laxus's side. The Lightning mage couldn't see what he was looking at, as his eyes were covered by his visor, but Bixlow's magic tiki dolls seemed to be in a surreal mood, floating in a uniform line and scanning the ballroom methodically with their inanimate eyes.

"It starts at midnight, right?" Bixlow said suddenly, turning to Laxus. They both turned to the large, ornate clock, which read that it was around eleven o'clock at night.

"Yeah," Laxus replied. "Why?"

Bixlow gave one of his infamous grins in which his tongue lolled out of his mouth, giving him an animistic, maniacal impression. "I got some time, then. I'll be back soon."

"Where - ?"

"Found some tail I like. See ya."

Laxus shook his head as Bixlow made his way through the crowd, his dolls bobbing above the heads of the dancers in order to keep up with their master. He almost felt sorry for the poor woman who had sparked Bixlow's interest. It was something that didn't happen too often. Bixlow really was a crazy bastard, but Laxus said that in the most affectionate way possible.

He turned back to the twirling dancers. Evergreen was struggling with Mirajane's younger brother, Elfman. Yet another disconcerting factor of the evening. When events like these cropped up, Evergreen pestered Laxus until he surrendered and asked her to accompany him. This time, though, she'd merely reported that she was present and ready for midnight before heading back to Elfman. Laxus idly wondered if she was attempting to make him jealous...

His eyes drifted once more to the spinning couple of Fried and the mystery woman. Something about her was familiar, like a shadow flickering on the edges of his memory. There was something about the sheen of her hair...the shape of her lips...the curve of her neck...

Laxus shot up in the throne, blinking at the mystery woman: it was Mirajane. There was no way it could've been anyone else. He cursed under his breath, replacing his mask and shooting out of the throne. If there was anyone who had the potential of ruining his plans, it was her. So, naturally, the leader of the Raijinshuu had to go and pick her to become enamored with.

Damn irony.

He hacked his way through the crowd, using his height to search for Fried's green head of hair. He found them in the middle fo the crowd, but as he got closer he saw with some confusion that Fried was wearing a dress...until he realized that it was not the prince, but Bisca, the boutique owner, blushing up at Alzack.

Laxus turned on his heel and searched this way and that, but Fried and Mirajane had seemed to melt into the crowd without a trace.

Little did he know that they had just ducked outside for some of the cool night air, hot and out of breath from dancing in the stuffy ballroom. Mirajane dipped her fingers in the crystal waters of the great stone fountain, idly counting the jewels that people had carelessly tossed inside. She wondered what she would wish for if she'd had a jewel to spare. Then she looked at the prince and she knew.

Fried was marvelous. He was kind and polite, quiet and contemplating, the perfect gentleman. As she watched the reflection of the moon ripple on the surface of the water, she felt a pang in her chest; this was likely the last time she would ever see him. After this ball, Evergreen would have her locked in the house again and forever chain her to her cinder-girl duties. Mirajane felt a surge of longing for a life here at Raijinshuu Castle, a life where she would get to know Fried better. She wanted to know everything about him, and one night of conversation would never be enough.

Mirajane took her hand out of the water, flexing her numb fingers. Fried took her hand in both of his own and rubbed them together, warming the icy appendage. He took her hand and delicately brushed his lips along her knuckles, causing a different kind of warmth to spread through her fingers immediately.

"Cinderella," he sighed, letting go of her hand. Mirajane felt a prick of self-contempt when he uttered this name and not her real one. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

Fried put his hand on each of her shoulders, and Mirajane felt her heartbeat pick up. He gazed at her with such solemn intensity that she found herself contemplating if Fried had actually fallen in love with her in this short span of time. But surely that was impossible.

"Tonight at midnight, I will no longer be the heir to the throne," he confessed, gripping her shoulders tightly. "I am going to announce my relinquishing of the throne to Laxus, and if the representatives objected then we are going to take the ballroom hostage. I don't want you here when that happens."

"Wh-what?" Mirajane gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "No, Fried, no! Laxus will abuse his power as king! You can't relinquish your throne, don't you see? He'll deport anyone who he doesn't feel is worthy of inhabiting Fiore! We all know what he thinks of the homeless and the orphans, it's not exactly like he's keeping it a secret."

"I am the leader of the Raijinshuu, and we are sworn to protect Laxus at all costs," Fried explained. "You don't know all that he's done for me. I owe it to him to give him the spot of power he rightfully deserves. Besides, I don't really want to be king anyway. I'd be much happier serving under Laxus."

"You'd be happy banishing those who can't stand up for themselves?" Mirajane cried, jerking out of Fried's grasp. "You'd be happy betraying your subjects? You must know that times have been hard since the fall of all those big companies! The Heartphilia Kozern went bankrupt just a few weeks ago; would you really send your own family out of the country just to please Laxus?"

Fried was frozen with shock just as the large clock in the ballroom chimed half-past eleven. In thirty minutes, the Justine period would fall and the reign of the Dreyars would begin. He hesitated for second, thinking about this overwhelming truth: that Laxus would, indeed, make him ship Mr. Heartphilia and several other loyal subjects out of Fiore simply for being poor or weak or perhaps even sickly. Laxus would only want to keep the strongest citizens. He would want to form the perfect, most powerful country.

His pause was much too long for Mirajane. She squared her shoulders and held her chin up high, like a soldier preparing for battle. "I'm not going to let you do that, Fried. I'm not going to let you ruin our country."

"You will do no such thing," Fried said, narrowing his eyes.

"Are you going to hit me?" Mirajane asked.

"No," Fried said, "but you and I both know that you aren't going to hit me either, Cinderella. It would be best for you to let me pass before someone who will strike you arrives. Trust me, the last thing I want is for you to get hurt."

Mirajane shook her head. "I'm not moving."

"I didn't want to do this, but..." Fried pointed a finger at her and mumbled something. Mirajane blinked for a second, shocked, before realizing what he was doing.

"Fried! Wait!" She tried to rush forward and stop him from finishing with his rune, but it was already too late; she ran right into a solid barrier. "Let me out of here! Fried!"

"I'm sorry, but this is for your own safety," Fried said. "Don't worry, I'll let you out whenever it's over. You don't understand now, but you will."

"Stop it! Fried, please, I have family and friends in there!" Mirajane banged on the invisible barrier with her fists, watching as the faintest of runes rippled into view before disappearing again.

"We're not actually going to hurt anyone, Cinderella. It's going to be fine."

"You don't know that! Laxus can be cruel!"

Fried narrowed his eyes. "What do you know about Laxus? He's not cruel, he's strong. Much stronger than I am. He would be better suited to rule the kingdom." He turned on his heel and began marching towards the castle. Mirajane helplessly listened to the festivities within, which would surely turn into screams of horror and outrage in mere minutes. She felt a rare surge of pure anger and punched the barrier recklessly.

"Fried! Stop this, don't do it! Fried!"

She hit the barrier again with her fists. If only she was as strong as she once was! She had once been able to break out of any trap with brute force, but that was years ago, before Lisanna was thought dead. Now that act of dark, powerful magic, her Satan Soul transformation, was lost somewhere in the depths of her consciousness. She had no idea how to summon it, much less sustain it long enough to defeat the entire Raijinshuu and Laxus.

Mirajane screamed out in frustration. "Fried!"

The clock struck midnight.


	18. Power Surge

**XVIII. Power Surge**

Fried climbed the stairs to the platform where Laxus, Bixlow, and Evergreen stood by the throne, waiting for him, just as the clock struck midnight. Laxus gave the other two Raijinshuu a nearly imperceptible nod, and they started forward to their places. Fried glanced nervously at the exit to the courtyard, where Cinderella was being held captive by his runes. He pained him to do it; it was against every one of his morals, holding a defenseless woman against her will, but it had to be done. Cinderella would have disrupted the proceedings and been hurt, and that was the last thing that Fried wanted for her.

Laxus clapped him on the shoulder. "Ready?"

"Yes," Fried said. He placed his hand on the hollow of his throat, muttering an incantation. When he spoke, his voice boomed across the ballroom.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman! Are you enjoying the festivities?"

The audience roared their reply, cheering with celebratory fervor. Fried glanced back at Laxus uncertainly, then turned back to his guests.

"I'm glad that you've all enjoyed your time here in my home. But, before we bring this ball to an end, I have an important announcement to make.

"As you know, I am crowned to be king due to the recent demise of my father - "

"May he rest in peace," the crowd murmured, bowing their heads respectfully.

" - and this ball was to serve as the ceremonial banquet during which I would officially shed my title as Prince of Fiore and have the title of King bestowed upon me. However, that is not going to happen tonight."

The audience took a collective gasp and fell into hurried conversations, as if to confirm to each other what they'd just heard. Fried held up a hand to silence them before he continued.

"You see, I have no desire to be King. I am happy with my duties as the head of the Raijinshuu, protecting my dear friend, Sir Laxus Dreyar. I hereby relinquish my throne and my title to Sir Laxus Dreyar of Magnolia Town, as well as any and all control over Fiorian government that the king possesses."

There was a surge of immediate protest from the crowd, who rushed forward only to meet an invisible barrier between themselves and anyone on the platform.

"The Dreyars are not related to the Justine family!" one of the Council representatives, a man by the name of Doranbolt, declared. "You can't choose who you relinquish your throne to! It goes to your closest family member, in which case the throne would be given to Guran Doma of Era!"

"Ah, but you're forgetting one little detail," Laxus said with a smirk. "If the heir of the throne relinquishes their statis as next-in-line, it goes to the immediate relative - _unless_ seven high-ranking representatives of the Council sign a decree that they approve of whoever the heir has chosen to relinquish their throne to."

Doranbolt snorted. "As if any Council member in their right mind would sign a decree saying that _you_ are more suitable than Guran Doma. Prince Fried, you may relinquish your throne, but there is absolutely no way that that kind of power is falling in the hands of Laxus Dreyar."

"I thought you might say that," Laxus said.

It happened in the blink of an eye. Doranbolt was distracted by movement up in the right-hand balcony and looked up, meeting the gaze of an Evergreen without her glasses. He was immediately turned into a stone statue.

Panic erupted in the ballroom. People screamed in terror, rushing toward the exits only to find that they were blocked by the same invisible barrier that restricted them from getting to close to Laxus and Fried.

"You bastard!" one man shouted, pointing at Laxus. "You plan to keep us here until we sign the decree, don't you?"

"You've caught on faster than I thought you would," Laxus replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled up bit of parchment. "You Council guys better hurry up and sign this thing, or else. For every hour I have to sit here and wait, someone's going to perish."

Fried frowned at Laxus as the crowd fell into disturbed muttering, obviously discussing what was to be done. "That wasn't part of the plan," he whispered.

"You complaining?" Laxus asked, raising his eyebrows. "Look, I just don't want to sit here all night. They're not going to let anybody die. They'll sign the thing before then, trust me. The Council is made up of cowards, and they're not going to want to clean up the mess if someone gets killed."

Cinderella's words rang in Fried's ears: _I have family and friends in there! _Suppose the Council did not make up their minds in time? Suppose they thought that it was a bluff, and that Laxus wouldn't dare kill someone, even for power. What if Laxus did kill someone? What if he wasn't bluffing?

Fried glanced up at the clock. Already ten minutes had passed since it struck twelve. Seven Council members had exactly fifty minutes to sign the decree, or _something_ was going to happen.

One man pushed his way up to the front, pink-haired and livid, dragging a blonde woman behind him by the hand. "Laxus, you bastard!" he cried, pointing an accusatory finger at the person in question. "This is bullshit! Let us out of here, right now!"

"Or what?" Laxus taunted with a chuckle.

The pink-haired man grinned recklessly, letting go of the blonde's hand and causing much hullabaloo when his hands burst into flame. "Or I'll make you let us out."

Laxus smiled back, his eyes lighting up with the thrill of a fight. "I'd like to see you try, little Salamander," he growled. The pink-haired man charged forward, but before he could get anywhere near Fried's barrier a streak of lightning shot up from the ground and engulfed him in its electricity. He fell to the ground, singed.

"Natsu!" the blonde cried, rushing over to his side.

"Ha! Is this little pipsqueak your date? What a joke!" Laxus said, roaring with laughter. Fried squirmed uncomfortably, but knew better than to get involved. Besides, Natsu was getting up; he was just wincing as he did so.

Before he could get back on his feet, however, Laxus had shocked him with another bolt of lightning and he fell again.

"Stop it!" the blonde demanded, stepping in front of the Salamander man courageously. "You're not showing anyone how strong you are, Laxus! You're just showing everyone how petty you are, picking on someone before even letting them get back up on their feet! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

"H-hey...I don't think there's any need to go that far..." muttered Natsu crossly.

"Just shut up."

"Fine then, why don't I pick on you?" Laxus teased. Using just the tip of his index finger, he shot a bolt of lightning at the blonde woman.

"Laxus!" Fried snapped, stepping forward too late.

A man leapt out from the crowd and pushed the blonde out of the way, taking the full force of the hit himself. Fried noticed that his left arm - the one that he had used as meager protection from the lightning - seemed to be that belonging of some kind of beast.

"You okay, Lucy?" he asked.

"Elfman! I should be asking you that question!" the blonde, Lucy, said.

Elfman turned his head towards Laxus, glaring at him dangerously. "A real man does not attack defenseless women," he said.

Laxus shrugged, and a bolt of lightning shot up from the ground and hit Elfman with such intensity that he was lifted off the ground, screaming.

"Stop it! Stop!" Lucy yelled, watching in horror as Elfman writhed in pain. A white-haired girl ran to the barrier and started banging on it with her fists, crying Elfman's name. Fried waited to see if Evergreen would turn her into stone, but his partner had turned her face away from the scene.

"Laxus!"

Everyone turned to the front doors of the ballroom, where the booming voice had come from. Fried watched as the crowd parted in astoundment, and finally the short form of Makarov Dreyar materialized into view. He didn't have to wonder how the old man had gotten through his enchantment for long; a petite girl marched in beside him, tucking a solid-script pen into her shoe as she walked. Fried had met her a once in the neighboring Hosenka Town, after Evergreen and Bixlow had forced him to go with them to the hot springs there.

Laxus narrowed his eyes at his grandfather and let an unconscious Elfman drop to the ground. Immediately, Lucy and the white-haired woman rushed forward to assist him and Natsu.

"Thank you, Levy," Makarov muttered to the blunette. She nodded and hurried over to help Lucy and the white-haired woman tend to their companions' wounds.

"You've gone too far this time, Laxus," the old man said, looking thoroughly disappointed. "I thought that you would learn something from your father's mistakes, but evidently it was I who was mistaken. Please, stop this. If you do, I swear that I will do anything I can to pardon your crimes so far."

"Shut up, old man!" Laxus yelled, the vein on his neck reserved specifically for Makarov pulsing. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Makarov sighed. "Very well. You've forced my hand."

And he began to double, to triple, to quadruple in size, towering over the rest of the gawking people in the ballroom. Sheer magical power radiated off of him like heat from a furnace; some of the weaker non-mages fell to their knees.

Fried stepped forward, drawing his sword, but Laxus held out an arm to stop him. "I'll do this alone," he said, glaring at his grandfather. "You, Ever, and Bixlow just make sure that all the people stay here."

"Right," said Fried with a nod. He didn't bother to point out that there was no way that even Laxus could defeat Makarov alone. He was sure that Laxus already knew it.

"Alright, you asked for it, old man!" Laxus roared. "Get ready, 'cause here I come!"

He, too, began to grow, though not as drastically as Makarov's transformation. Scales the color of flesh erupted on his arms, and the air was charged with electricity. Laxus grinned wildly at Makarov's blatant surprise. "Weren't expecting this, were you? Did you really not believe me when I said I was a Dragonslayer?"

"I...I didn't think that even Ivan would really do something so treacherous to his own son," Makarov whispered. "Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to carry that lacrima around inside you?"

"That's your problem," Laxus said. "You're too afraid to take risks in order to get stronger. Well, I'm not, and I'll show you just how strong I am! I'll defeat you, and everybody will know that I forged my own strength, and that it's not just because I'm related to the likes of you!"

And they clashed.

It was a wave of pure power. People screamed and scurried out of the way as Laxus and Makarov collided. The chandelier flickered and creaked as their opposing powers hit the delicate crystal structure. With a groan, the ceiling around the heavy chandelier gave way and the light fixture fell to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. Lucy and Lisanna shielded Elfman's unconscious body from the projectile glass, looking desperately around at the scurrying people.

"We have to find a way to get all these people out of here!" Lucy cried, gritting her teeth as she and Lisanna hoisted Elfman's arms across their shoulders. "Otherwise someone's bound to get hurt!"

"The rune barrier isn't a problem anymore," Levy said, helping Natsu off the ground. "I deactivated it so that Makarov could come in."

"Great, start directing people towards the door," Lisanna suggested, wheeling around to do just that. She nearly ran into a long, sharp rapier, which Fried was holding in her face threateningly.

"Don't think that it will be so easy to get past the Raijinshuu," he warned.

"Prince Fried, you have to let us pass! You must know that this is wrong - "

"I am no longer Prince of Fiore," Fried said, stepping forward so that Lisanna would step away from the door. "I've given that position to Laxus. But I am still the head of the Raijinshuu, and I won't hesitate to harm you if you try to escape."

Lisanna glared at him, and took a deep breath. "Everyone!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, getting some panicking peoples' attentions. "The barrier is gone! Run away! Go!"

The people began slowly surging toward the doors as the news echoed through the ballroom. Fried gave Lisanna a look of outrage and raised his arm to strike her.

"Lisanna!"

A dark shadow darted over Lisanna's head and hit Fried at full force, knocking him halfway across the ballroom. He stared up at the looming figure in shock, assessing the leathery, bat-like wings, the sharp green talons, the beautifully dark face contorted with anger. The first word that sprang in his mind was _demon_.

"Mira?" Lisanna whispered, her eyes widening. The demon's pointed ears pricked in her direction, and she twisted her neck just enough to look the girl in the eye. Lisanna gasped when she recognized the old, piercing gaze of her sister.

"That's _Mirajane_?" Lucy gawked, remembering the kind woman she'd been living with for the past three days.

"That's her Satan Soul transformation," Lisanna explained, staring at her sister in awe.

"Wait, did you say transformation?" Natsu said. "You guys are mages?"

"Well, duh. Why do you think our house is called Take Over Manor? Mira, Elf-bro, and I all specialize in Take Over magic."

"No way!" Natsu said, looking offended. "How come you never told me?"

Lisanna shrugged. "It never came up. Besides, none of us have used it since Evergreen bought our house. There was never any reason to."

"Uh, guys?" Lucy squeaked, her eyes becoming as round as Happy's usually were. "Can we discuss this later? I think we better get out of here!"

The ceiling around them was collapsing with the crushing pressure of the battles. Thankfully most of the guests had made their way out of the ballroom, otherwise they probably would have been unconscious. Lucy herself was feeling a bit disoriented. One side of the ballroom was enveloped in dark, swirling shadows where Mirajane and Fried were beginning their duel; the other side was flickering with hair-raising flashes of electricity where the battle between Laxus and Makarov was still commencing. Their group was trapped in the middle, where the friction between the powers was so overwhelming that it seemed to be sucking the very matter out of the area.

Lisanna and the others followed Lucy's gaze upward, where the ceiling was developing a long, thin crack along this strip of paradox. It was right above them.

"I second that notion," Levy said.

They bolted towards the front doors, the crack in the ceiling growing bigger and threatening to split with every step. They made it outside and into the cool night, huffing from the exhausting task of dragging an unconscious Elfman around. Only when the party caught their breath did they notice that something was wrong.

The crowd from the ball had not raced home, or even at a safe distance from the collapsing castle. They were all gathered in the front courtyard, looking terrified. Lucy gasped when she realized that the outer rim of people, obviously those guests who had attempted to make a run for it, were now stone statues.

"Evergreen," she hissed, searching for the female Raijinshuu.

"'Bout time you guys got out here," a voice said. They wheeled around to see a bevisored man grinning down at them with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He balanced on a thin metal post, five tiki dolls orbiting around him.

"Bixlow," Lisanna called up to him, "I can't believe you would do all this!"

"Sorry, babe, just business," Bixlow replied.

"You know him?" Lucy asked.

"I've met him once or twice with Evergreen, but tonight he came up to me at the party and he was really fun," Lisanna answered, glaring at Bixlow vehemently. "That was before all this happened, obviously."

"What are we going to do?" Levy interrupted, glancing at the castle behind them nervously. "That's not going to be structurely sound for very long, and if we stay out here then we'll be crushed."

"We have to protect these people," Natsu said.

"But how?"

Natsu frowned. "I don't know."

Lisanna, Natsu, Lucy, and Levy were all simultaneously hit on the head by four of the tiki dolls. "Oi!" Bixlow yelled. "I don't want you guys plannin' nothin'. Each one of you go to a different corner of the courtyard."

"What about my brother?" Lisanna asked furiously, guesturing to Elfman.

"He can stay there," Bixlow said with a grin.

"That's not what I meant," Lisanna growled.

Bixlow waved a dismisive hand. "Ain't nothin' to worry 'bout, he'll be fine. Now you guys separate, or I'll have to get Evergreen involved."

Begrudgingly, the four of them marched to separate corners of the courtyard. Natsu frowned at the castle as if trying to observe the fights through the brick walls; Levy knitted her eyebrows together, thinking of a solution for protecting the defenseless non-mages in the courtyard; Lisanna alternated from glaring at Bixlow to staring at her brother worriedly; Lucy folded herself into her corner and placed her head in her hands, wishing she had a key that could help. Lyra and Hologorium would be of absolutely no use. She didn't even have Cancer with her.

There was a deep, rumbling sound like thunder. Everyone stared at the castle, from which the sound was coming from. The audience, despite the fact that Evergreen was watching them like a hawk from somewhere, pressed towards the gates of the castle. Lucy watched in horror as some of them froze and were carelessly pushed out of the way by others who were wild and deranged with panic.

She stood up and ran towards the center of the courtyard to assist Lisanna in dragging Elfman out of the impending path of the debris. She had barely made it when she heard Natsu call her name. A deafening boom rang throughout the courtyard.

Raijinshuu Castle had fallen.


	19. Creatures Of The Dark

**XIX. Creatures Of The Dark**

Natsu couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear. He couldn't breathe.

"Lucy!" he shouted again, following that up immediately with a severe coughing fit. Dust as thick as heavy fog engulfed the courtyard entirely, cushioning every sound so that even Natsu's hyper-sensitive ears had to strain to hear any reply. The particles burrowed themselves into the soft tissue of his eyes, wiggled into his nose and mouth. He took another breath, gagging at the coating of dirt that entered his mouth. "Lisanna! Levy!"

"Natsu!" the voice was faint, distant. He thought it sounded like Levy, the solid-script mage.

"Levy?"

Closer than before, there was a cough. "Ugh, this is ridiculous. _Wind!_"

A strong gust of wind nearly blew Natsu away. The dust whipped across his skin and made tiny, tingling lacerations, but the air became somewhat clearer. He jumped when he spotted a windblown Levy shaking out her mane of blue hair right beside him. She was covered in dust from head to toe. Natsu figured he looked similarly.

"Where is everybody?" she croaked, looking around.

"Dunno. C'mon, let's go see if we can find anybody."

He grabbed her hand and lead her into the suffocating cloud of debris, blinking away the swirling dust. He put Igneel's scarf over his mouth and found with some surprise that the air he breathed seemed to be clear again. "Lucy! Lisanna! Somebody!"

Someone groaned. Natsu squinted for the person. "Hey? Somebody there?"

"Natsu, look out!"

Out of nowhere Natsu saw the tip of a reptilian tail heading straight for his face. He grabbed Levy and ducked, allowing the attack to hit him squarely on the back. It knocked the wind out of him and sent them both toppling to the ground.

"Natsu! What was that? Are you okay?" Levy cried frantically.

"Fine," Natsu wheezed once he got his breath back. The dust was aggravated again, and a small blue blur popped out of the cloud. Natsu blinked. "Happy! You're here!"

"Aye, I saw the castle collapse. I couldn't get in because of the Prince's runes," Happy explained. "Are you okay? That demon lady's tail hit you pretty hard."

"Demon lady? You mean Mira?" Natsu said.

Happy's eyes widened. "That's _Mira_ fighting Prince Fried?"

The dust stirred again, and something dark shot across the sky above them.

"Get back here, Fried!"

There was a sound like a whip, and the Prince crashed onto the ground next to them. He seemed to be beat up pretty bad. Luminescent purple wings fluttered on his back.

Fried scrambled back up just as Mirajane landed lithely on the ground, ready to fight. She kicked his legs out from under him and scratched at his chest with her talons. He managed to dodge the first attack, but got thrown back into the dust by the other. Mirajane leapt in after him.

Suddenly she flew back into view, landing on the ground as if she'd been thrown.

"Mira!" Natsu cried, starting forward.

"No!" she hissed, wincing as she got up. "Find Lisanna and Elfman and get out of here! This isn't a fight for you!"

Suddenly a great demonic creature rose out of the dust. It was triple the size of an average man, with thick black skin and green hair flowing out of its head. Natsu recognized the glowing purple wings on its back; the monster was Prince Fried.

"I hate the fact that I have to use this forbidden spell, but I have no other choice," he said in a low grumble. "I guess that only a demon can master a demon. Prepare to discover why Laxus calls me Fried the Dark."

He and Mirajane collided in a blur of shadows, snarling and growling like the demons they were impersonating. Natsu winced at the overwhelming chill that emanated from their battle. Tt reminded him of Jose's Shades.

He turned to Levy, who was breaking out into a cold sweat. He took her hand again and lead her away from the battle. "C'mon, let's go find the others," he suggested. The trio delved once again into the dust, Happy flying over them to see if he could spot anything from the air.

"Lucy!" Natsu called. "Lisanna! Elfman!"

He heard a reply, faintly. "Natsu!"

"Lisanna?"

"Natsu!" This time it was closer.

"Lisanna! Where are - ?"

The girl ran right into him at full force, knocking them all to the ground. "Sorry!" she exclaimed, scrambling up. "I can't see anything!"

"Where's Lucy and Elfman?" Natsu inquired.

Lisanna pointed in the direction she'd come. "They're over there. Lucy's leg is stuck under a rock, and we can't get it out. Elf-bro's still unconscious."

She lead them deeper into the cloud of dust, periodically calling Lucy's name and straining her ears for a reply. Finally Natsu heard her voice faintly in the distance. He tugged the girls in the direction. "C'mon, I heard her over this way."

"You can hear her?"

"Dragonslayer ears," Natsu said.

After a little bit of walking, they finally found Lucy trying to wiggle out from under a boulder that had crushed her ankle. Elfman laid beside her, still unconscious but beginning to stir.

"Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed. "Finally! Come help me, I can't move my ankle."

Natsu grabbed the rock and heaved, lifting it enough so Lucy could slide her foot out. She tried to stand but nearly fell back down with an outcry. "I think it's twisted," she said, grimacing.

"We've got to find an exit so we can help people get out of here," Levy said. "If we don't do something quick, someone's going to get seriously hurt in all of this confusion. Or worse."

"I'll carry Lucy, you and Lisanna try and lift Elfman," Natsu instructed, slinging Lucy over his shoulder. "Happy, fly around and see if you can find a way out of here."

"Aye!"

Lisanna and Levy each grabbed one of Elfman's arms and heaved to no avail. "He's too heavy, we can't carry him!" Levy cried, gritting her teeth.

Natsu came over with Lucy protesting vehemently on his shoulder. He slapped Elfman hard in the face, yelling in his ear. "OI, ELFMAN, GET UP!"

Elfman roared and shot up, banging heads with Natsu. "What's going on?" he yelled, looking around wildly. "Where am I?"

"Natsu! I found the gate, and there's no rune barrier," Happy reported, circling back to the ground.

"We'll explain on the way," Natsu hissed at Elfman, rubbing his jaw. "C'mon, let's get out of here!"

Happy guided them through the debris like a blue beacon, until finally the dust began to clear and the vague shape of a gate came into view. They ran through and gratefully breathed in the fresh air that the night had to offer, unpolluted by the collapsed castle. Natsu set Lucy on the ground as the rest of them flopped beside her, panting.

"This is no time to rest!" he said. "We've got people to rescue!"

"Don't you ever get tired of playing hero?"

Natsu wheeled around, meeting Evergreen's stone-cold stare. He heard the others distantly calling his name, and saw Evergreen replace her square glasses.

Then, nothing.


	20. Law Of The Land

**XX. Law Of The Land**

Mirajane roared as she administered the finishing blow. She summoned all of the betrayal, all of the hurt, all of the anger as she swiped her talons at Fried and watched his wings flicker out.

She dove after him, pinning him to the ground.

"How could you do all this, Fried? How could you?" she cried, her face contorted with fury. "Think of all the people who could be hurt right now! Who could be dying! How could you listen to Laxus when you knew the consequences would be so dire? How you could you destroy your own home, hurt your own subjects? Answer me!"

Fried felt the truth of her words like a sharp blade in his side. He respected Laxus and he had responsibilities as head of the Raijinshuu, but he also had responsibilities as the Prince of Fiore. No, as the King of Fiore. It was his country now, and he needed to take care of it. Already he was plaguing it with violence.

"ANSWER ME!" the demon woman repeated, gripping his arms.

"I don't know how to answer," Fried replied, closing his eyes when he felt the hot prick of tears. "You're absolutely right. There is no excuse for what I've done."

"There isn't," the demon woman agreed. "But that doesn't mean you can't at least attempt to fix it."

Her great leather wings unfurled, and with that she shot into the sky, leaving Fried defeated on the ground as tears flowed slowly down his cheeks. "You're right," he whispered as he watched her fly away. "Cinderella."

Fried knew what he had to do.

He scraped himself up off the ground and stumbled his way through the cloud of debris, toward the electric field cackling in the center. Right where Raijinshuu Castle used to be. His home.

The dust thinned out, and Fried's eyes widened when he came across the sight that played before him. Laxus and Makarov were still locked in an epic battle, but it seemed like the old man was gaining the upper hand. Fried noticed that he blocked all of Laxus's attacks, but he didn't want to seem to inflict any real harm upon his grandson. Likewise, Laxus was charging at his grandfather with everything he had.

"Laxus, this has gone far enough!" Makarov was shouting, dodging another lightning attack. "You've put the citizens of Magnolia in terrible danger! This is not how one who aspires to be king should act! Stop now, or I will use force!"

"Shut up, old man!" Laxus roared, his flesh-colored scales rippling, his electric energy cackling with passion. "You don't have room to talk big, you haven't defeated me yet! I'm stronger than you now!" To demonstrate, he gathered his energy into his hands and prepared to project it at his grandfather.

"Laxus! Stop it, he's right!"

Laxus froze and turned to Fried, who stumbled onto the battlefield grasping his wounds. He stepped right in front of Laxus and let the Lightning Dragonslayer study him, take in the severity of his defeat.

"Fried? Who did this to you?"

"That's not important," Fried said, shaking his head. "We're being stupid, Laxus. Both of us. We should have never deceived ourselves into thinking that this was ever going to work. Even the four of us cannot take on the entirety of Magic Council and any other mages here in Fiore. We're finished."

"What are you talking about?" Laxus cried, outraged. "The plan's almost done! Don't give up now just because of a few scrapes and bruises!"

"That's not what this is about, Laxus!" Fried countered passionately. "It's not about fighting anymore! It's about doing the right thing, and overcoming our fears and desires for the good of Fiore."

"Fear? I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid of anything!" Laxus declared.

"I am," Fried admitted. "Or at least, I was. I was afraid of taking the throne, afraid of being in a position of power that I could very well abuse. And here you are, craving for that power, a perfect scapegoat. But I'm done running away from my responsibilities, Laxus. I'm ready to take my place as the King of Fiore."

"No," Laxus said, shaking his head. "No, we agreed that I would be a better king. I'm more powerful than you!"

"I don't deny it. But if this was a question of power, then I would have never been eligible for the throne in the first place," Fried said. "This is a matter of bloodlines, of heritage, and of duty. I didn't want that commitment. I was afraid of it corrupting me, like I said. But I've realized that my paranoia has done just that. Look at us, Laxus! We've destroyed a castle, wreaked havoc on what was supposed to be a joyous celebration, and we've probably hurt a lot of innocent people."

"Collateral damage," Laxus dismissed.

"No! It's not! Neither of us are fit to be king if we continue acting this way!" Fried exclaimed. "I'm done running away from my birthright, and you have better ways to show that your power has nothing to do with your grandfather!"

"Stop babbling and move aside, Fried," Laxus said dangerously. "You don't know what you're talking about. You must have hit your head."

Fried shook his head, standing rooted in his spot. "I'm not moving. I will fight you for the throne, Laxus, because it is not mine to give. It belongs to the Justines."

Laxus glared at his companion for a minute, and smirked. "No, I'm not going to fight you," he said, relaxing his stance.

"Does this mean that you surrender?" Fried asked cautiously. He had not expected Laxus to give into his pretty speech so easily.

"No," Laxus replied. "I'm going to show you that I do deserve the throne, a lot more than you do. And you know what? I'll use my birthright to do it."

"Laxus! No!" Makarov cried.

"Too late, old man!" Laxus roared, clapping his hands together. Fried was knocked off his feet by the sheer power Laxus was giving off. He looked up in horror to see Laxus engulfed in electricity, oozing with power. "Everyone who opposes me, everyone who's too weak to be worthy of standing in my presence, will be eliminated! I give you my almighty power: _Fairy Law_!"

"LAXUS!" Makarov yelled.

There was a moment of silence.

Nothing happened.

Laxus seemed as shocked as the others. He shrank, his scales melding back into his skin, his overwhelming energy retreating back into his body. He sank to his knees, staring at Fried as if he could not believe he was still there.

"What happened?" he whispered. "Why didn't it work?"

"Because deep in your heart, you don't think of any of us as true enemies," Makarov said after a pause, though he too seemed a little taken back. "Only then can Fairy Law be put into effect. You did not truly want to kill us, Laxus. It's over. You're done."


	21. The Dust Settles

**XXI. The Dust Settles**

"Natsu!"

Lucy hobbled forward and grabbed Natsu's stone arm, horrified. She turned to Evergreen, who was replacing her spectacles. "What did you do to him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Evergreen said. "I turned him into a statue, silly girl."

Bixlow flew in, balancing on his dolls. "I think that was more for dramatic effect, Evergreen. Either that, or the blonde's real stupid."

"Hey!"

"Evergreen, Bixlow, please stop this!" Lisanna cried. "It's insanity! Why are you doing this to us?"

"Laxus's orders," Evergreen shrugged.

Elfman gave her a look of reproach. "Since when did you start taking orders from anybody, Ever?"

Evergreen seemed shocked for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. "I listen to those who deserve to be heard," she snapped back. "And _don't _call me Ever. Only Laxus is allowed to do that."

Elfman looked as though she'd struck him. He didn't say anything else.

"Change him back right now!" Lucy demanded, pointing at Natsu.

"No."

"Do it!"

"I don't think so."

Lucy reached for Cancer, her only offensive Spirit, but Bixlow _tsk_ed and shook his head. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you. Evergreen ain't the only one with special eyes, if you know what I mean."

"What are we supposed to do now?" Lisanna asked the others.

It was Bixlow who answered. "Well, I got a couple ideas..."

"Quiet!" Levy interrupted, listening carefully. "Do you guys hear that?"

The others listened too, and they heard a kind of soft pitter-patter, like the gentlest rain hitting a tin roof. Lucy gasped. "Look at the dust!"

The dusty debris seemed to be gravitating to the ground, coating the earth in a thick layer of chalky particles. They looked around, perplexed, until they saw two figures walking toward them from the dissipating cloud. It was Prince Fried and Makarov.

"Fried!" Evergreen and Bixlow cried simultaneously.

"Hello," Fried replied evenly. "What's going on here?"

"We're just following the plan. Where's Laxus? What's going on?"

"Laxus is now a fugitive," Fried explained, squirming slightly as the words left his mouth. "He was defeated and charged with treason, but he, uh, escaped before we could arrest him." Something about the way he said it hinted that he and Makarov hadn't done much to prevent Laxus's convenient disappearance.

"What?" Evergreen shrieked. "Fried, how could you exile Laxus? You're the head of the Raijinshuu! You're supposed to protect him at all costs!"

"I am the head of the Raijinshuu," Fried agreed. "But I am also the King of Fiore. And that will always come first."

"What about us? Are we fugitives now?" Bixow asked wearily.

"That depends," Makarov answered. "Are you keeping these people hostage?"

"No," Lisanna interjected. "No, they're not."

Fried cleared his throat and jerked his head in Natsu's direction, being careful not to look directly at the petrified Dragonslayer. Evergreen blinked in comprehension and turned Natsu back to his previous form. He popped out of his stone cocoon with fists ablaze, ready to fight.

"C'mon, I'm ready! Try that again and see if you can - wait, what's going on?"

Nobody could help but crack a smile at Natsu's ridiculous disposition. Happy patted him on the back as he extinguished his fists in dismay, realizing that the fight was over and that he had missed it.

As the dust settled due to some of Makarov's magic, they rounded up the abandoned, frightened people from the ball. Luckily none were injured besides the occasional scrape. Fried delivered a moving apology speech, and the present Council members voted that he and the rest of the Raijinshuu be excused for their actions. However, not one person voted for Laxus's return.

Eventually people were sent home. Evergreen left with Elfman, Lisanna, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, and they were saved from any discomfort by a silent agreement not to mention the previous events of the evening. Even so, Evergreen was unusually kind to them as they walked to Fairy Queen Palace.

When they arrived home, Mirajane was dressed in her usual sooty garb, albeit her arms and legs were covered to conceal her battle wounds. She rushed over when she saw them, feigning ignorance.

"Are you guys alright? I heard dreadful noises coming from the castle, and someone told me that it had collapsed! I was so worried! Look at you, you're all scratched up and dirty," she rambled, hitting the white dust off of Elfman's suit. "Come inside and tell me all about it."

When Lucy and Natsu passed, she winked at them. The two were in awe; after all that, Mirajane still executed the plan they'd forgotten all about with flying colors. She really was something remarkable.

Mirajane was a better actress than they could have ever guessed. Inside she was a medley of emotions: surprise, relief, sorrow. Surprise that after several years she'd managed to use her Satan Soul and fight, and surprise that she'd actually pulled off the plan Lucy and Natsu had devised. Relief that Lisanna and Elfman were safe, that Laxus was no longer a threat.

But most of all, sorrow. Mirajane felt a gaping, ragged wound in her center that flared with empty cold every time she thought about the Prince. She would never see him again. Or if she did, she would have to hide her identity as Cinderella because he would most likely be visiting Evergreen. No one but her three miracle-working guests would ever know for sure that she was Cinderella, though she thought that Lisanna and Elfman might have guessed it from her appearance in her Satan Soul form.

She sighed when she got into bed that night - or rather, early morning - and gave in to the temptation to wrap her arms around the empty void in her midsection. She was sure that, like the wounds she'd gotten from fighting Fried, this one that she got from loving him would go away too. Eventually.

Until then, she knew that there wouldn't be a moment when she didn't think of him.

She had no way of knowing that, at that very same moment, Fried was also thinking the same thing. He had no clue to the true identity of Cinderella, for he'd asked Makarov and the old man replied he had no record of any such person living in Magnolia.

Fried walked through the rubble that as Raijinshuu Castle, where he had spent a majority of his childhood. The crystals from the chandelier in the ballroom glittered like diamonds at his feet, crunching under every step. Makarov was rounding up the last of the guests who'd attended the ball, most of them nosy Council members. The old man understood that Fried wanted to be alone to sort out his chaotic inner workings.

Bixlow hovered over on his dolls, gazing up at the sky in a pensive manner. No matter how many times Fried hinted at it, his friend didn't quite seem to grasp the fact that he wished for nothing more than solitude.

"Can you believe Laxus ain't comin' back?" the bevisored man said after a while.

"No," Fried sighed. "I can't. I'm sure he'll find a way back, somehow. He's always been innovative. And smart. He'll learn the errors of his ways, as will we."

"Yeah," Bixlow grumbled. He didn't like Fried's talks of 'errors' and 'consequences.' "Hey, where're you livin' anyway? You want to crash with me?"

"No, I've already accepted an offer from Makarov. He's even offered me a permanent residence in Fairy Tail Castle."

Though Fried didn't see it, Bixlow raised his eyebrows. "You gonna say yes?"

"I don't know. Probably not. We'll see how things pan out."

He sat down on the edge of the fountain where he and Cinderella had talked. He wondered how she'd gotten out of his rune barrier. Had Levy helped her? Had it been sheer force and determination? Fried didn't know.

He wished he could see her again. A little part of him wished that they could have had a future together, but he was sure that Cinderella hated him now. He was so stupid, so reckless.

"Bixlow," he said roughly, "no offense, but I need some time to myself right now."

Bixlow seemed to understand. Fried could have sworn one of the dolls whispered something like "Right, the broad," but he couldn't have been entirely sure. Bixlow drifted away, presumably to the confines of his home.

Fried gazed into the waters of the fountain drearily, watching the sky go from deep indigo to a lighter shade of ultramarine. He dug around in his pocket and fished out a jewel, holding the glittering currency in the palm of his hand. There was only one thing he'd be foolish enough to wish for. He closed his eyes.

_I wish I could see Cinderella again_, he thought, tossing the jewel into the fountain. He heard a deep plop and opened his eyes, searching for the jewel he'd offered_._

His eyes drifted to something in the water, where it looked like a jewel was floating. At closer inspection, he saw that there was something supporting the jewel, something that wasn't supposed to be in the fountain. When he figured out what it was, he gave a bitter chuckle.

Fried's jewel had landed inside of a single glass slipper.


	22. If The Shoe Fits

**XXII. If The Shoe Fits**

"Can you believe it? It's so romantic!"

"It's a waste of time, if you ask me."

"I think it's manly!"

Elfman, Lisanna, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy sat around the table discussing the latest rumor going around Magnolia. Apparently Prince Fried was searching the town for the mysterious beauty he'd met at the ball, the one who went by the alias _Cinderella_. He was subjecting every female to some kind of test, though all were sworn not to tell what it was. That didn't stop the circulation of rumors, though; according to the public, the Prince was asking the fair maidens of Magnolia to do everything from walk on their hands to recite the alphabet backwards. Of course there were nastier rumors too, but no one really believed those. Prince Fried had always been renowned for his gentlemanly conduct toward women. It was his friend, Bixlow, who was known for his perverse tendencies.

Evergreen was the most disgruntled about it. She thought it a complete waste of time and energy that could be better spent running the kingdom. However, Fried had proposed that he not be crowned King until he married, which was enough to convince her to go along with what she called a wild goose-chase.

Lisanna and Elfman evidently thought it was romantic/manly, and approved greatly of the Prince's actions considering they had a deep suspicion of the identity of Cinderella. But Mirajane avoided the question of Cinderella's identity when asked, and Natsu and Lucy feigned ignorance as well. They figured that if Mirajane wanted her siblings to know, she would tell them.

"Anyone else want biscuits?" Mirajane asked, sashaying into the room with two pans of hot, fresh-smelling biscuits. The crowd gratefully devoured the delightful breakfast, stuffing their faces with Mirajane's delicious cooking.

"Oi, Mira," Elfman said with a full mouth. "'Ave you 'eard 'bout wha's goin' on at da - ?"

A knock at the door interrupted his half-comprehensible sentence. Evergreen stood up, ushering Mirajane away from the door. "I'll get it. You just make me some more sausage."

Mirajane smiled and took Evergreen's plate, disappearing back into the kitchen.

Evergreen opened the door and blinked in surprise. "Bixow? Fried? What do you two want? I'm eating."

"Can't two buddies pay their friend a visit?" Bixlow inquired sardonically.

"No," Evergreen deadpanned.

"Well, we are, so move out of the way."

"Bixlow," Fried snapped, "that's rude, even if it is Evergreen."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Evergreen asked.

"May we please come in?" Fried continued, ignoring her last comment entirely. "I was between houses, and I thought I'd drop by for a rest."

Muttering to herself, Evergreen let them inside. Bixlow strutted in like he owned the place, flopping down on the couch between Lisanna and Natsu. "Oi, I didn't know you lived here! What're you doin' shackin' up with Evergreen?"

"Long story," Lisanna said.

"I got time. Hey, can you pass me some chow? I'm freakin' starving, Fried's got me runnin' all over Magnolia." Bixlow gratefully took the biscuit that Lisanna passed him, smothering it with jam while his dolls whizzed around squeaking variations of the word "yum!"

"Yeah, Evergreen was telling us about that," Lisanna said.

"What's the test Prince Fried's having all the women do?" Lucy inquired.

Bixlow peaked over his shoulder to make sure that Fried and Evergreen weren't paying attention, and leaned in closer, urging the others to do so too. "Alright, I'll tell you, but you can't let it leave this room, got it?"

They nodded, hanging on to his every word.

He peered over his shoulder again before continuing. "You see, that Cinderella chick left a slipper at the ball, and somehow it survived all the fightin' and stuff. So now Fried's goin' around makin' all the broads try it on, and if it fits then supposedly she's the real deal."

"But what if someone just has the same size foot?" Lisanna asked.

"I dunno, the slipper's supposed to be magic or somethin'," Bixlow said, shrugging. "Don't ask me 'bout it. I'm just along for the ride."

"Just because it _seems_ like I'm not listening, Bixlow, doesn't mean you should share the palace secrets with everyone in the vicinity," Fried said, popping up behind his friend and snatching the third biscuit the bevisored man had been preparing. "Come, it's time for us to take our leave now that you've eaten your fill. I'm sure that Evergreen doesn't want us plaguing her home any more than necessary."

"Nah, Evergreen loves us here, right, Evergreen?"

"Get out."

Bixlow made a face. "Fine, fine, I get it. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye," the group said in unison, going back to their breakfast.

The Prince and Bixlow took their leave, waving to the others as they left. Mirajane came in as Evergreen slammed the door, shaking her head.

"Who was that?" she implored cheerfully, setting more sausage on the table.

"Just Fried and Bixlow being idiots," Evergreen replied grouchily.

Mirajane froze. "What?"

Outside, Fried stopped and patted his belt. "Damn, I forgot to give Evergreen her paycheck. I'll be right back."

"Whatever," Bixlow replied.

Fried walked back up the dirt path, unhooking Evergreen's monthly stipend from his belt. How had he forgotten to give her that? It must have weighed three pounds.

He raised a fist to knock on the door, which swung open to reveal a flushed young woman with flowing white hair and bright blue eyes. Fried blinked at her, surprised, as her face became a deeper shade of pink.

"Fr-Fried!" she stuttered. "I - I mean, Prince Fried. What are you - I thought that - ?"

He lifted the purse. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I forgot to give Evergreen her pay."

"Oh! Right, I'll just - I'll go get her."

He followed the woman inside, frowning at the back of her head. She seemed familiar...something about her voice, her graceful stride, her tiny hands fluttering at her sides...she reminded him almost of...

"Oh great, now what?" Evergreen growled when she saw Fried walking behind a very tense Mirajane. "Can't a woman just enjoy her breakfast in peace?"

Fried didn't hear her; he was staring intently at Mirajane's back. She seemed to feel his eyes on her. She slowly turned around and blinked at him shyly, fidgeting.

Evergreen scowled, her eyes flitting between the two of them. "Fried! What do you want?"

"What? Oh, here." Fried threw her the purse, which she caught before it hit her in the face. He turned back to Mirajane and unstrapped his bag, digging around in it. He pulled out a square box. Evergreen's eyes widened.

"Fried, what are you doing?"

He didn't address her. "I'm sorry, but what's your name?" he asked, focusing his attention on the beautiful maid in front of him.

"Mirajane," she murmured.

"Lady Mirajane, if it doesn't bother you I would like to see if your foot fits in this shoe." Fried opened the lid of the box to reveal a single glittering glass slipper. Everyone gaped as Mirajane mutely nodded, and he got down on his knees. Mirajane lifted her skirts just enough to reveal her ankle. Fried gently fitted the glass slipper on her foot.

It was a perfect fit.

Bixlow chose that moment to barge into the house. "Fried! What's takin' you so freakin' long?"

No one paid him any attention, so enticed by the discovery as they were. Bixlow blinked as Fried took Mirajane's hand, not for a moment taking his eyes off of her.

"Are you Cinderella?" he asked in hushed tones.

"Yes," Mirajane whispered back.

"Impossible!"

Everyone turned to Evergreen, who stood up from her seat and knocked her chair to the ground. "That's impossible!" she repeated, pointing at Mirajane. "There's no way that she could have been at the ball! She was here! She didn't have a dress, or transportation, or anything! She was here!"

"You're wrong," Mirajane said. "I was there. I was Cinderella."

"If that's so, then how? How could you have gone to the ball without my knowledge if you didn't have any means to do so?"

Mirajane didn't miss a beat. "It's simple. My fairy godmother paid me a visit."

Evergreen was speechless. She sat down, looking as though she'd just had the wind knocked out of her. Natsu and Lucy grinned at each other, high-fiving under the table.

Mirajane turned back to Fried, who had altered his stance so that he was only on one knee. "Well then, Lady Mirajane, if you were the Cinderella who attended the ball, I have a question to ask you."

"Ask away."

"I don't have a ring to offer you right now," Fried began, the faintest blush crawling up his neck, "but I would be incredibly happy if you were my wife, and if you would rule by my side. I know we haven't known each other for very long and you might not feel the same way, but I don't think I could love anyone else more than I love you. So, Lady Mirajane, will you marry me?"

"Of course," Mirajane said, tears welling up in her eyes. Fried stood up and pulled her in for a long, slow kiss that filled the identical empty holes inside their chests with warmth.

Bixlow cheered. "Yeah! Bachelor party!"

Everybody laughed, except Evergreen, who tried her hardest not to. Lisanna tackled her sister and began running on about wedding plans. Lucy dabbed at tears, basking in the romance of the moment, and thinking that it would make a very good scene for a novel. Perhaps she could include this adventure along with her previous, when Natsu had rescued her from Jose. She glanced at Natsu out of the corner of her eye and returned his huge grin when he caught her. She had a feeling that all of her time with Natsu would make a good novel. He was certainly never boring.

"Hey, Fried, now that you're getting married we can officially crown you King," Bixlow pointed out.

Lisanna gasped. "Mira! You're going to be Queen of Fiore!"

"I am?" Mirajane blinked. "Huh. I guess I am."

Lucy almost blurted out that her mother was once a queen, but remembered that no one here but Natsu and Happy knew that she was Rapunzel, the Lost Princess of the Heartphilia family.

"Hey, Lucy, Mira'll be just like your - " he began, but Lucy covered his mouth before he could finish his sentence. Everyone was so wrapped up in their own conversations that they didn't notice anyway.

Mirajane withdrew from Fried and her siblings, making her way over to Natsu and Lucy. "I just wanted to thank you guys for everything you've done," she whispered, glowing. "You don't know how much this means to me. But...well, I do have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

Mirajane smiled. "Will Cancer do my hair for the wedding?"


	23. Hosenka's Hot Springs

_**Author's Note**: New arc! I'm glad you all liked the Cinderella one. Any guesses just by the first chapter what this fairy tale is? The characters should give it away!_

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><p><strong>XXIII. Hosenka's Hot Springs<strong>

"Thank you for staying at Take Over Manor! Come again!"

Lucy and Natsu laughed and waved farewell to Lisanna and Elfman, Happy flying in circles above them. It had been a very celebratory week: Mirajane and Fried had gotten married at the Kardia Cathedral two days ago, and been coorinated King and Queen of Fiore the day after. Mirajane purchased Fairy Queen Palace from Evergreen and gave it to Lisanna and Elfman, who renamed it Take Over Manor and opened it to the public as a bed-and-breakfast. Evergreen was living there until she found another place to stay; not that she was really making any effort to do so. Since she was technically a guest, all employees - namely Lisanna and Elfman - were required by their policy to wait on her hand and foot. Lucy had the suspicion that Evergreen enjoyed that fact, and the sight of Elfman in an apron, a little too much.

As for the newly weds, they were traveling Fiore for their honeymoon and to announce their official status as rulers, starting with Balsam Town. Mirajane had stopped by the day before to tell Natsu and Lucy goodbye, as they weren't going to be there when she got back.

Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and Plue were starting their journey to Clover Town. From there they would head down to Onibus Town, and then right to Acylpha, where Lucy would track down her father and hopefully find out more about her family. She was a bit worried about Natsu, who completely avoided the possibility that she would stay in Acylpha permanently to work in the Heartphilia Kozern.

Lucy wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet, but she did know that she wanted answers. How had her mother died? Where was her twin brother, the one who was supposed to succeed the throne all those years ago? Why hadn't he? She would ask these questions, and if her father could not supply them then she would continue her journey and search for her brother, hopefully with Natsu and Happy by her side.

Natsu's quest was coming to a dead end. They'd heard nothing of Igneel or anything resembling Igneel for the past two weeks. At this point, Natsu was aimlessly wandering Fiore with Lucy in hopes of hearing a rumor. He asked anyone he could about the elusive Fire Dragon, but most of the time his only response was laughter.

Natsu screeched to a halt as Lucy turned left, away from the East Forest and toward Magnolia Station. "Where are you going?" he asked her.

"The train station. We can't walk to Clover, that would take us at least three days."

Natsu shook his head. "I'm not riding a train. I'm walking."

"Natsu! I'm not walking all the way to Clover, I told you!" Lucy snapped.

"Fine. You take the train and I'll walk and meet you there."

"Natsu!"

He continued to walk towards the forest, paying no heed to her threats, pleas, or commands. He was by biological definition a stubborn creature, so Lucy had no choice but to follow him. She'd never ridden a train before and she did not want to experience it alone.

"Fine," she huffed, jogging to catch up with him,"but we're staying the night in Hosenka Town."

"Why?" Natsu asked.

"So I don't have to camp for at least one night, and I hear that they have really nice hot springs. Also, Levy owns a bookstore there, and I want to drop by." Levy had stayed at Take Over Manor for the wedding as well, and she had become very good friends with Lucy, as she shared her love for literature and adoration of Plue.

"Okay, sounds good to me," Natsu agreed. "As long as I don't have to ride a train."

The East Forest was brimming with exotic flora and fauna, along with interesting animals of every color, shape, and size. Natsu told Lucy about the old witch who supposedly lived there, the very same one who was said to have treated Queen Heartphilia when she was both ill and pregnant. A part of Lucy yearned to find the witch, but Natsu said it would be foolish to do so; she was just an old fable Igneel told him when he was a child.

Lucy reminded him that dragons were just an old fable she'd read about as a child, and that shut him up for the rest of the trek.

It was twilight when they finally made it to Hosenka, for which Lucy was grateful, because the East Forest seemed like it could have been a menacing place in the dark. The town was a multitude of soothing, glowing lights and Oriental architecture, which Lucy had never seen before and found very interesting. It was much smaller than Magnolia, but that gave it more of a relaxed atmosphere. Lucy could see why it was such a famous getaway.

"Let's get some food before we check into an inn," Natsu proposed, patting his grumbling stomach. "I'm starving!"

"But what about Levy?" Lucy complained. "Her shop's probably getting ready to close. I want to see her before we leave."

"We'll drop by tomorrow morning," Natsu said, waving a dismissal hand. "It's not like we're in any rush to get to Clover."

_Or Acylpha, _Lucy added in her head, but she didn't protest as Natsu dragged her along until they found a restaurant called Super Express. Lucy's mouth began to water when the wall of succulent scents hit her. A chef with a huge forehead nodded to them and told them to sit where ever they wanted. A few minutes later he came by and took their order, then vanished behind the counter_._

Lucy looked around. The place seemed to be a small business, but it looked like it got steady clientele. People were munching on a variety of dishes, and everyone seemed to be pleased with their choices.

The cowbell above the door rang, and the Nodding Chef came out to greet his new customers. "Shadow Gear! Come, sit where ever you like. The usual?"

"Yes, please."

Lucy wheeled around in her seat, meeting the brown eyes of Levy McGarden. She was flanked by two men, one with an odd hat and the other with an odd hairstyle. They must have been Jet and Droy, the two men who ran the bookstore with Levy.

"Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed. "What are you doing in Hosenka Town? I thought you were heading out to Clover."

"Detour," Lucy admitted, shooting Natsu an accusatory glare. He didn't notice, as the Nodding Chef had just delivered his food and he was stuffing his face. Lucy wrinkled her nose in disgust - though her food was quite tempting - and turned back to Levy, who was taking a seat next to her.

"I'm glad you stopped by," Levy said conversationally. "These are my two friends I told you about, Jet and Droy." The man with the hat and the man with the odd hair waved, respectively. Levy addressed them. "This is Lucy, Natsu, and Happy, the three travelers I told you about."

"Nice to meet you," Jet said, tipping his hat. "Thanks for helpin' out at the ball."

"We didn't want Levy to go alone, but she insisted that she'd be okay," Droy added.

"She did more than any of us put together," Lucy praised, causing Levy to blush shyly. "If it wasn't for her, Laxus would probably be King."

"I wouldn't go that far," Levy said modestly. "All I did was take down the rune barrier, and that was simple translating. It's what I do for a living." She thanked the Nodding Chef as he delivered their meals.

Lucy tried some of her food - she really hadn't paid attention to what she ordered, it all looked so good - and moaned. "Wow, this is amazing," she said, quickly shoveling more of the noodle-type dish into her mouth.

Levy laughed. "I know, it's my favorite restaurant. We come here every weekend."

"I can see why," Natsu said, waving for a second helping.

They ate and chatted for the rest of the evening. Levy recommended a good inn that was right next door to the best hot springs in Hosenka. "You should come by my bookstore tomorrow before you head out," she invited as they left Super Express.

"Definitely," Lucy agreed, dragging Natsu and Happy out of the restaurant before they spent the remainder of their money on the to-die-for chocolate cake. "We'll see you tomorrow, Levy-chan!"

"Later, Lu-chan!"

The trio walked through Hosenka until they come across the inn that Levy suggested, renting one room with two beds. Lucy wasn't going to be picky about splitting rooms now, not when they were so low on money.

Natsu tested the weight of their combined funds in his hand. "We might have to put on a show tomorrow," he said, glancing at Lucy. "Oi, can you summon Lyra?"

"I don't think the citizens of Hosenka will appreciate a fire-juggling act as much as Magnolians," Lucy said, thinking of the reserved, quiet feel the entire town had. "Maybe we should wait until we get to Clover."

Natsu shrugged. "Whatever. Hey, you want to go check out the hot springs?"

"Sure!" Lucy headed into the bathroom to change, silently grinning at the prospect of her first trip to a hot spring.


	24. The Legend Of The Beast

_**Author's Note:** Sorry about any spelling/grammar mistakes, my e-mail (which I use as a spell check since I only have Wordpad on my computer) was malfunctioning. If you see anything be sure to point it out and I'll fix it up as soon as possible. :)_

* * *

><p><strong>XXIV. The Legend Of The Beast<strong>

Lucy peered around the spring to see if there were any other occupants in the designated female section. There didn't seem to be any. Beyond the bamboo wall that separated the male and female springs, Lucy sould hear Natsu and Happy shouting. She rolled her eyes. Didn't those two understand the meaning of relaxation?

Shedding her towel, she quickly stepped into the spring and emerged her naked body into the temperate water. Next door, she heard Natsu yelp when he discovered how hot it was.

"Natsu, you're a Fire Dragonslayer!" Happy exclaimed. "How can you think this is hot?"

"There's steam coming off of it! Why don't you get in?"

"The manager said I couldn't, remember?"

Lucy sighed in frustration and rubbed her temples, leaning back on the stone edge of the spring. Couldn't those two be quiet for once?

Happy popped his head over the fence. "Hi, Lucy!"

"STUPID CAT!" Lucy roared, torn between covering herself and splashing the perverted blue cat in the face with hot water. "Don't look at me while I'm naked!"

"Is Lucy over there? Hey, Luce!"

"Shut up, Natsu! Tell Happy to go back over to your side!"

"Why? Happy's a cat, Lucy, he doesn't find you attractive at all."

"Aye," Happy concurred.

Lucy finally decided to splash water at him. "GO!"

"Fine," he pouted, retreating back over the fence. "Lucy's so mean to me, Natsu..."

Lucy huffed and turned her back to the bamboo wall, hoping to block them out and get a moment of peace.

She came face to face with a wrinkled old woman.

"Gah!" she exclaimed, leaping back in surprise and trying to slow her racing heart. The old woman had been quiet as a mouse; Lucy hadn't even heard her submerge into the spring.

"I am not that ugly," the old woman said dryly, drifting to the other side of the spring. "I was just wondering if those two young men were harrassing you."

"No, I'm sorry, you just - you just startled me," Lucy wheezed, fanning herself. "They're my friends, they were just being...yeah."

"Can't even finish a sentence," the old woman huffed, flicking a flyaway strand of pink hair from her eyes. "I hate humans."

"What's your name?" Lucy inquired, not having heard the last statement. "I'm Lucy."

The woman looked up sharply and assessed Lucy thoroughly, which made her slightly uncomfortable considering she was naked. Finally the woman turned her attention to the steaming surface of the water and answered, "Porlyusica."

"That's an interesting name," Lucy remarked.

Porlyusica did not comment. She continued make swirling patterns on the surface of the water with her index finger, not paying Lucy any attention. Lucy shrugged and figured that the old woman didn't want to converse with her. She was probably there to relax, anyway.

"What are you doing here in Hosenka?" the old woman suddenly asked, gazing at Lucy with odd scarlet eyes.

"Well, my friends and I were on our way to Clover from Magnolia, but we decided to take a detour here first," Lucy explained, leaving out some of the finer details. "What about you?"

"I am not well, and these springs have healing properties," Porlyusica murmured. "Otherwise I would not be in town at all. I hate civilization."

"So...you live in the East Forest?"

"That is none of your business," Porlyusica said sharply.

Lucy blinked, taken back by the old woman's hostility. "I was just wondering," she muttered crossly. "My friends and I are traveling through there to get to Clover, so I thought I'd ask out of curiosity..."

"What?" Porlyusica exclaimed. "You cannot travel through the forest! Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy squeaked, once more perplexed by the woman's harsh nature.

"Have you not heard the legends?"

Lucy frowned. "The one about the old witch? Sure, I've heard those, but surely even if they were true the witch wouldn't harm us unless we invaded her property. After all, she did help my...I mean, the queen."

"No, not those legends," Porlyusica said, waving a dismissive hand. "The other legends."

"There's more than one legend?"

"Of course there's more than one legend, it's a big forest!" Porlyusica snapped. "I suppose you've never heard the story of the Beast."

Lucy gulped. "Th-the Beast?"

"Don't interrupt me! Once, a long time ago, a giant monster reigned over all of the creatures in the forest from a castle stronghold made entirely of iron. One day he found a young orphan boy stranded in the forest with no place to go. He was a scrappy child, and had survived the perilous dangers of the forest for over three days. Impressed, the monster took the boy under his wing and raised him as his own.

"As the boy grew, he became relentless and cruel, often tormenting the creatures of the forest for enjoyment. The monster did not like this kind of behavior. Though he believed that intimidation and fear was the way to rule his wild kingdom, he did not think it was wise of the boy to be intentionally malicious towards his subjects. So he cursed the boy, binding his powers so that he would not be able to use them until he found someone that he did not want to hurt. Someone that he could love. And that person had to love him back, or else it would not lift.

"However, one day the monster suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving his kingdom in the hands of his bitter child. Still the curse did not lift, and the boy was left defenseless when the creatures realized that the dreaded monster was not there to protect him. They rioted and sought for the boy's blood. He locked himself in the iron stronghold for protection, waiting for his guardian to return."

Porlyusica stopped, gazing at some sad thing in the distance. "The monster never did come back. As years went by, the boy became restless and more bloodthirsty than ever. He slaughtered anything and anyone that came within his castle close, just out of pure spite. It's said that the boy, now a man, still prowls the castle, waiting for the return of his guardian so that the curse that has imprisoned him for so long will finally be broken."

Lucy studied her reflection in the water soberly, thinking of all those years she had been trapped in her lavish tower, supplied with everything she desired. She remembered the terrible loneliness, even with Plue there, and the incredible boredom. She imagined that life, but with no comfort or company of any kind. She wondered what the boy felt like, knowing that everyone outside hated him to his very core, and that if he dared take a step out of his stronghold he would be mauled.

Tears pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them away with a laugh. "How silly of me," she sniffed, wiping her face, "crying over some character in a fantastical legend."

"That legend is very much real," Porlyusica insisted, giving Lucy a stern look. "I suggest you use some other method to get to Clover."

"I would, but my friend gets really motion sick whenever he goes on any kind of transportation," Lucy explained with a sigh, shooting the bamboo wall a disdainful look. "Traveling on foot is the only way. But I promise that if we see an iron stronghold, we'll be sure to stay away from it."

"That's not the point, you stupid girl!" Porlyusica exploded, spots of color appearing on her cheeks. She caught herself and took a deep meditive breath. "What I mean to say is, the East Forest is very dangerous. You shouldn't be risking it."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Lucy said coldly, tossing her head.

"Very well," said Porlyusica in a resigned kind of way. "If you want to sacrifice your life to the savage desires of a bloodthirsty Beast, be my guest. It's quite a disappointment though. You look so much like your mother."

"I'll have you know - " Lucy froze midsentence and turned around, eyes wide with alarm. "Wait, how do you - ?"

But Porlyusica had suddenly disappeared.


	25. Shadow Gear

**XXV. Shadow Gear**

Natsu didn't think much about Porlyusica when Lucy told him about her encounter with the old woman. He claimed he'd never heard of such a legend, and that the old woman must have recognized her from a photograph of Queen Heartphilia or something because, frankly, Lucy _was_ the spitting image of her mother. As for Lucy, she was completely convinced that Porlyusica was the old Witch of the East Forest, and that she knew Layla because she had helped her give birth to Lucy and her twin brother.

Suddenly, the quiet vacation town of Hosenka became eerie and full of mystery in Lucy's eyes. She went to bed that night feeling vulnerable and suspicious, jumping at every noise while Natsu and Happy snored across the room. She expected Porlyusica to be standing behind her whenever she turned on her side; therefore, she slept on her back that night, gazing up at the ceiling and wondering what Porlyusica was doing at that very moment.

The next morning was an early one, the first cool tang of autumn tainting the breeze. Lucy, despite having slept for little more than two hours over the duration of the night, was alert and wide awake, buzzing with nervous energy. She noticed that the sky was unusually dark over Hosenka. The town still retained the slow, resigned feel of a day almost done rather than the sleepy-eyed stir in the air that mornings were supposed to have. It was as if Hosenka-time was always poised on dusk.

Lucy and Natsu left the inn and headed over to Super Express Restaurant, where Levy said she would meet them and walk them to her bookstore. A warm, hearty breakfast of pancakes brightened Lucy's spirits a little, so by the time the cowbell rang and Levy walked through the door she was ready to face the day without suffering from persistent anxiety.

"Morning, Lu-chan," Levy greeted cheerfully. "Are you ready to go?"

"Aren't you going to eat something?"

"No, I had breakfast before I came."

After Natsu finished his fifth stack of pancakes, the group walked out onto the street and toward Levy's bookstore. Plue stayed close to Lucy's heels; she had a feeling that he didn't like Hosenka much either. Or maybe he was just squirmy because he sensed Lucy's discomfort.

"Ta-da!" Levy sang, stopping in front of a random building situated between two towering resorts. "Welcome to Shadow Gear Books & Such, where you can find all your literary needs and more!"

It was a modest building of aged brick and ordinate siding, with polished glass windows displaying volumes upon volumes of everything from dusty manuscripts to trashy romance novels to sci-fi comics. On a rotating rack near the center were delicate Gale-Force reading glasses, something Lucy'd had her eye on for a considerably long time. Surrounding all this was a prick-a-prack of miscellaneous merchandise, like glittering crockery or colorful socks. Above the door was a weather-worn sign that was engraved with "Shadow Gear Books" but somewhere along the line someone had painted the words "& Such" in curly black letters.

"Come on in, make yourselves at home, and please excuse the dust," Levy rattled on, holding open the door for them. Jet and Droy sat at the register inside, playing cards. They greeted their visitors before turning back to their game. There seemed to be a lot of money and Jet's hat at stake.

Lucy imagined that Shadow Gear Books & Such would have been a dingy place if everything wasn't so interesting. Though currents of dust circulated through the sunlight beaming in through the windows, Lucy couldn't say that she blamed the Shadow Gear managers for not wanting to clean up; there were so many surfaces that needed attention, it would take a week to get it all. The entire back wall was dedicated to a giant bookshelf where numerous books were lined up, and there were also stacks of books balanced haphazardly on tables surrounded by a medley of fascinating metal structures, strange instruments, cook wear, antique furniture, and more. The whole facility smelled strongly of drying ink and warm paper.

"I told you guys to open the window," Levy said disapprovingly, eying their game with distaste. She marched over the large window and threw it open, letting in the fresh breeze. From the protesting squeak of the hinges, the window didn't get opened often.

"So, be honest," Levy said, coming back over to them and brandishing an arm around the store, "what do you think?"

"I love it," Lucy said, grinning.

"Dusty," Happy said, sneezing.

"Oh, what's that?" Natsu cried, darting over to a table and fiddling with a metal doohickey. He turned it over in his hands and there was a distinct click. Ink squirted from somewhere and splashed him in the face.

"So that's what that does," Levy remarked while Lucy and Happy laughed. "Thanks for figuring it out, Natsu, we've been wondering for weeks. I'll go get you a towel."

Jet let out a whoop and grabbed the money and his hat from the counter, laughing maniacally while Droy's shoulders drooped in disappointment. "I'll go get it, Levy," the plant-mage muttered, shuffling from the room.

Lucy pulled Levy aside, something suddenly occurring to her. "Hey, Levy-chan, do you know anyone named Porlyusica?"

"Porlyusica..." the blunette pondered for a moment. "The name sounds familiar...Jet, do we know anyone named Porlyusica?"

"Yeah, she was the crazy old lady who came in yesterday for some glass bottles," Jet replied, sticking his winnings in the lining of his towering hat.

"Right! How could I forget her? She was muttering the whole time about how much she hated humans," Levy said wryly. "Why do you want to know about her, Lu-chan? Did she say something to you?"

Lucy told Levy about her encounter with the old woman yesterday, leaving out the part about her mother and her being the Rapunzel of the Heartphilia family. She did feel kind of bad about lying to her friend, but she didn't think it was wise to advertise her lineage.

"Sure, everybody around here knows the legend about the Beast," Levy said. "In fact, we have a book on it. It's right over...here." She stood on her toes to grab a thick leather-bound volume called _Tales of the East, _slapping it on the mahogany table and instigating a large puff of dust. She looked at the table of contents and flipped through until she was about halfway. There, in elegant calligraphy, was a story entitled _The Cursed Beast_. There was a detailed illustration of a grotesque monster hunched over the carcass of a white-tailed deer, dull black fur bristling up on his haunches and a sneer that revealed fangs dripping in bright scarlet blood. What Lucy found most disturbing was the humanoid intelligence in the Beast's crimson eyes, and the ragged trousers that hung on his hips.

The story was much the same as the one that Porlyusica had told Lucy, with minor variations. Curiously, she turned to the table of contents, and saw it: _The Witch of the East Forest._

She looked over her shoulder and saw that everyone was occupied helping Natsu get the ink off his face, which was proving to be increasingly difficult the more they scrubbed. She flipped through the book until she found the fable. Unlike the long, detailed, illustrated story of the Beast, _The Witch of the East Forest _left more to be desired with it's simple half-page. There wasn't even an illustration, just a fancy border of leaves and some elegant mushrooms sketched at the bottom to fill the blank paper void.

Peering over her shoulder again, she began to read.

_The mysteries of the East Forest are boundless, but perhaps the greatest mystery is the Maiden of the East Forest, or, as she's more commonly referred to, the Witch of the East Forest. She's a hermit that hardly ever comes out of her solitary refuge, some say due to hideous disfiguring acquired from dark spells, others say due to her hatred of simple, irrational humans. She's only known to help those in great need, those who she believes are truly good down to their core. The Witch will heal them with her magic, protect them with her wards, give them strength in their times of need._

Lucy frowned. _This person they're describing doesn't sound like a witch to me, _she thought_. _She seems more like...like a guardian angel.__

Porlyusica was certainly no angel.

"Ow! Get off me!" Natsu swatted away the others' hands, although his face was still blotched with ink where it wasn't rubbed raw. He stomped over to Lucy, glaring back at the Shadow Gear, and peered over her shoulder. "Whatcha reading?"

"I was reading about the Beast, but - "

Natsu shook his head. "You're still going on about that witch, huh? When're you going to let it go? There's no way that lady you met is the Witch of the East Forest."

"She knew my mom," Lucy said simply.

"Maybe," Natsu corrected. "You look a lot like Queen Heartphilia, you know. Hey, I wonder if Igneel's in here?"

"Uh, I think there's a section on dragons - ow, Natsu, you gave me a papercut!"

Natsu recklessly flipped through the book, but Levy snatched it out of his hands before he could find the chapter on dragons. She looked scandalized.

"I can't believe you would treat a book like that!" she scolded, pressing the book to her chest as if protecting it. "What are you looking for?"

"Dragons," Natsu said, wearing the expression of a child who'd just been sentenced to a time-out. Levy carefully located the chapter and set the book on the table for Natsu to read, shaking her head as he squinted at the page.

"Boys," she huffed, shooting another look at Jet and Droy, who were demonstrating their powers of speed and greenery, respectively, to Happy. "So, how are Lisanna and Elfman doing?"

"Good. The bed-and-breakfast is really taking off," Lucy said.

"Evergreen's still there?"

"Yup."

They gave a simultaneous sigh. Neither of them thought that Evergreen was leaving Take Over Manor any time soon.

Natsu came over and handed Levy the book, looking irritated. "Nothing about dragons."

"But the chapter's a whole three pages!" Levy exclaimed.

"Like I said," Natsu repeated, "nothing true about dragons."

Levy shrank. "Oh. Well, I'm sorry I couldn't help, Natsu. If I hear anything about Igneel, I'll be sure you let you know."

"We better get going if we're going to make it at least halfway to Clover before dark," Lucy said, checking the time. "That is, unless Natsu's changed his mind about taking the train?"

"Nope!"

Levy laughed. "I guess I'll see you some other time then, Lu-chan. You three should visit again, this was fun."

"Definitely," Lucy agreed. "Bye, Jet! Bye, Droy!"

"Later, guys!" the two said in unison.

Hugs were exchanged, and then Natsu, Lucy, Plue, and Happy left Shadow Gear Books & Such to continue their journey through the East Forest and onward to Clover Town.


	26. Camping

**XXVI. Camping**

Lucy flopped down on the bedroll with a relieved groan, so exhausted that it didn't even matter how hard the ground was. Plue flopped down beside her with a little sigh of contentment.

Natsu rolled his eyes at them as he lit the fire. "You are so lazy, Lucy. We didn't even walk that long," he said, blowing out his finger as the pinestraw caught.

"You're used to it," Lucy snapped. "I'm not. Don't judge." She rolled over and curled around Plue's warm, shivering form, closing her eyes. They'd spent the entire day just walking, something Lucy was not accustomed to nor fit for. She hadn't gotten much exercise in the confines of her tower.

"Hey, Lucy! Do you know any scary stories?" Happy asked enthusiastically.

"No."

"Are you lying so you don't have to tell one?"

"Yes."

"Luuuuucy!" Happy whined, kicking the back of her head. "That's mean!"

Lucy sat up on her elbows, glaring. "Shut up, stupid cat! I'm tired! You didn't have to walk all day, you've got wings!"

"C'mon, Luce, have a sandwich," Natsu said, holding out a sub wrapped in plastic they'd purchased from Super Express before they'd left. Enticed by the idea of food, Lucy begrudgingly crawled over to the fire and plopped down, accepting her sandwich.

They sat by the fire for a while, eating. Lucy glanced at Natsu out of the corner of her eye. He was gazing at the fire, the shadows and light dancing across his face, highlighting and defining it. Lucy drew up her knees and rested her chin on her arms, slight spots of color rising to her cheeks. Natsu was pretty handsome. She hadn't really noticed before. Wait, no, she'd noticed; she just hadn't acknowledged it until now.

"How did you meet Igneel?" Lucy inquired. It was a question that had been sitting in the back of her mind for a while, but never had the opportunity to ask.

"I don't really remember," Natsu said, frowning in thought. "I guess my real parents died, and he found me and adopted me. He's been my caretaker forever."

"What's he like?"

Natsu perked up. "Igneel's the best! He's cool and smart and awesome. He taught me everthing I know: reading, writing, magic, and fighting." He grinned maliciously. "Lots and lots of fighting."

"Everything makes sense now," Lucy remarked dryly.

"What was it like, living with Jose as a dad?" Natsu asked, grabbing some chips and passing them to Lucy. She opened them before she answered, breathing in the salty aroma.

"He wasn't really a dad. Living with him was more like living by myself. He only came to deliver food and stuff, and he didn't really talk long." Lucy ate a chip, staring at the fire. "He wasn't fatherly at all. He didn't love me. But I didn't love him, either."

Natsu puffed out his cheeks. "Is that why you want to find your real dad so bad?"

"I guess," Lucy answered wistfully. "It'd be nice to get to know my biological family, get to know what I missed."

"And you'll stay there." It wasn't a question.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I still want to find my brother...and besides, he left for a reason. Who knows, maybe my dad is as bad as Jose. I hope not, but it could happen." She smiled at him. "Either way, it won't be the last time we see each other. You can come visit me whenever you're in Acylpha, and I'll still help you look for Igneel."

"Yeah," Natsu said miserably, "but it won't be the same."

"It won't," Lucy agreed.

Happy huffed. "This conversation is depressing."

Lucy got up and stretched. "I'm going to go to sleep. I'm super tired, and if I've got a whole other day of walking tomorrow..." She shuddered. "Yeah, I'm going to sleep."

She walked over to her bedroll and curled up around Plue again, her back to Natsu and the fire. No matter how tired she claimed to be, Lucy didn't close her eyes until after Natsu had put out the fire and she heard the soft sound of his snores.

Just as Lucy was falling to sleep, she heard the chilling chorus of a pack of wolves. She sat up on her elbows, holding Plue tighter in her arms. Another series of howls sounded in the distance, which didn't sound too distant anymore. Lucy gulped. "N-Natsu..."

Six pairs of yellow eyes blinked into view.

"NATSU!"

Huge gray blurs shot out from the trees, pouncing on them. Natsu roared into wakefulness, looking around wildly. "_Fire Dragon's Roar_!"

The surrounding forest was suddenly alight with Natsu's flame. Lucy ducked from the wolves and from the fire, nearly crushing Plue. She felt that wrenching sensation again, the same one as when Hologorium was borne. Then, Plue disappeared. All that was left was a silver key.

Lucy was horrified. "Plue!"

"Lucy!" Happy flew over and grabbed her hand. "Lucy, come on! We've got to get out of here right now! Natsu's gone a little overboard again!"

Lucy looked around and saw that much of the surrounding forestry was, indeed, on fire. The wolves were nowhere in sight. She could still hear Natsu shouting.

"C'mon, I'm ready! Come and get me! What, you scared?"

"Idiot," she muttered, quickly gathering her things. She jumped as a giant, burning log nearly fell on her. "Natsu...!" She followed Happy through the inferno, coughing and tearing up as acrid smoke filled her mouth, nose, and eyes. They found Natsu adding more fire to the raging blaze that was already overtaking the forest. Lucy snuck up behind him and hit him with her backpack.

"Ow!"

"You stupid Dragonslayer! We've got to get out of here!" Lucy fell into a coughing fit, unable to finish her tirade. Natsu looked around and blinked, then gathered his stuff. Lucy squealed in terror as another projectile fiery log flew her way. Natsu grabbed her hand.

"This way, c'mon!"

He tugged her away from the campsite and - hopefully - out of the fire, which was rapidly spreading from tree to tree, steadily engulfing the forest. The panicking herds of animals with rolling eyes fled from the scene. The trio ran with the wildlife, trusting the animal's superior senses. Lucy thought she heard the wolves, but she didn't see them.

Everything was a haze of smoke and flame. She couldn't see, and sometimes she couldn't breathe. Her only lifeline was Natsu's hand in her own, keeping her moving when she wanted to collapse, guiding her deeper and deeper into the forest. But the fire was growing, feeding on the rich abundance of kindling in the area. No matter how hard or how fast they ran, the fire was always there.

Eventually Lucy couldn't move anymore. She fell into a fit of coughs that brought up the contents of her stomach. She thought that Natsu threw her over his shoulder and kept running, but it was hard to tell, hard to keep conscious. Considering all the jostling she had to endure, that's what she guessed happened.

When Lucy was finally able to see and breathe and move again, she was laying on a bed staring up at a metal ceiling. Wait, how was that possible? Weren't they just in the East Forest, miles away from any civilization?

A small, feline face with a crescent-shaped scar over one eye filled her vision, replacing the harsh metal plates that made up the ceiling. Lucy jumped in surprise. The face was entirely unfamiliar.

"Oi, Salamander! I think your girl's waking up."

"Really? About time." Natsu came over and bared down on her, looking mildly impatient. "Even Happy woke up before you, Lucy. You're really slow."

Lucy sat up on her elbows, surveying the room. Like the ceiling, the angular walls and smooth floor were made of metal: rusted, neglected iron. Thankfully the bed was constructed of its usual soft materials, and the metal chairs seemed to be cushioned.

"Where are we? What happened?" Lucy glanced at the small cat creature with the odd scar. "And who are you?"

"Well, the wolves attacked us at our campsite, so I fought them," Natsu began.

"I remember that," Lucy said, glaring. "Idiot. Why did you have to be so dramatic when we were surrounded by dry wood?"

Natsu waved a dismissal hand. "Look, it was either that or be eaten by wolves, okay? Well, after I got you out of the fire I found this place - it's really cool, actually, this huge castle made up of metal - and I found Pantherlily here, who snuck us in so he could treat you. He's a flying cat, like Happy."

"The correct term is Exceed," Pantherlily said. "There's actually a lot of us scattered across the world. Not many of us live in Fiore, though; most live in Edolas, all the way across the globe. We have our own little island and government and everything."

"Wait, did you say that this was a castle made of metal?" Lucy squeaked. She remembered Porlyusica's warning, and her sarcastic response: _I promise if we see an iron stronghold, we'll be sure to stay away from it_.

"Yeah. Pantherlily said it was iron. Why?"

"Nothing." Lucy glanced at Pantherlily, who wore a completely blank expression. If there was a Beast living here, or if it was just a silly myth to keep people away from his stronghold, she couldn't tell.

"I'll go get you some food for your journey," Pantherlily said. "You can stay here tonight and leave tomorrow."

He left, closing the solid metal door behind him. Lucy reached over and smacked Natsu upside the head with as much force as her exhausted muscles could muster.

"Ow! What'd you do that for?"

"How many times will I have to call you an idiot tonight?" Lucy hissed, thoroughly pissed off. "First of all, you burnt down half the forest! And now you bring us here? Haven't you been listening to a word I've been saying for the past two days? The Beast that Porlyusica told me about, he lives in an iron castle in the middle of the East Forest!"

"Please, Lucy," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head. "Would you stop going on about what that old hag said? It's just a story."

"Dragons are just a story!" Lucy snapped. "You've shown me no proof that dragons exist, but I believe you! Why can't you just return the favor?"

Pantherlily came back in, struggling under a bundle of food. "Here you are. This will last you a couple days, should you get lost. Clover Town is a straight shot west, though, so you shouldn't miss it. I won't come and check on you in the morning, but I don't suggest lingering here."

Natsu took the food. "Is that 'cause the Beast lives here?"

"Natsu!"

"What, you were wondering, weren't you?"

"That's none of your business," Pantherlily said evenly. "When you leave the castle, do it the back way. Don't go through the garden or the east wing."

Suddenly, the door to the room came off its hinges, rebounding off the walls with a loud, resounding, metalic clang. A great spiky figure stood in the shadow of the threshold, out of the reaches of the beams of moonlight coming from the window. Two menacing red eyes gleamed in the darkness.

"The Beast," Lucy whispered.

The Beast stepped inside the room, into the light. Lucy gasped; Natsu braced himself; Happy's face twisted in disgust. The Beast was a hulking man covered from head to toe in a netting of reptilian scales, shining with the same metalic luster as the walls of his abode. His hair was a deep, inky black and unruly as his title suggested, falling down his back in choppy, porcupine-esque layers.

Slowly, the Beast swept his frightening scarlet gaze across the room, his eyes settling on Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. He scowled, then turned to his subordinate.

"Lily," he growled. "What have you done?"


	27. Held Captive

**XXVII. Held Captive**

Lucy felt a queasy sense of nostalgia as she laid on the cot in the metal dungeon, staring up at the ceiling. She'd been held captive for a good duration of her life, but at least then she'd had some comfort.

She sighed, turning over on her side and feeling the contours of Plue's key in her hands. _Well, at least he didn't eat us or something_, she thought.

The Beast was livid at his servant, Pantherlily, for letting Lucy, Natsu, and Happy into the castle. He'd yelled and screamed for a good five minutes, while the trio glanced awkwardly at the other. Then, the Beast had turned his attention to them. They didn't get to say much; the Beast immediately ordered them to the dungeons. Natsu had put up a good fight, but Pantherlily, bound by his master's orders, had eventually defeated him.

Who knew that the Exceed was such a good swordsman?

Lucy could still hear Natsu in the cell beside her's. She didn't think he'd ever rest, not until he got out. He'd tried everything: melting the metal with his fire, punching through the walls with his strength, gnawing at the bars with his teeth. If he'd had a spoon, Lucy was quite sure he'd try to dig his way out before he gave up.

As for her, she was just waiting for Pantherlily to go away.

He restlessly patrolled the metal corridor, his little feet tapping on the iron floor. He seemed rather apologetic about the whole situation, but was inclined to follow orders. "A curse in itself," he'd muttered before dragging them down to the dungeons. Lucy was under the impression that Pantherlily was the only servant here, and he was just as cursed as the Beast.

Pantherlily flopped down in a chair and began fiddling with his tail, his eyes drooping. The dawn's light was already leaking in through the small, barred window in Lucy's cell, casting a faint glow in the otherwise black dungeon. Lucy wished that Natsu would shut up so Pantherlily would just close his eyes, but she didn't have a way to relay that to him without making the Exceed suspicious.

Eventually, she heard a soft snore coming from Pantherlily's chair. She slowly sat up and messed with Plue's warm key in her hand. She opened her mouth to recite the incantation.

The door to the dungeons slammed open, and Lucy quickly tucked the key away. There was a series of solid footsteps, and the Beast came into view, holding a flaming torch. He growled when he saw Pantherlily. "Sleepin' on the job...lazy-ass cat..." He lumbered over to Lucy's cell, peering at her in between the bars. "Oi, what're you doin' in there?"

"Nothing," Lucy retorted. "There's nothing _to_ do."

"HEEEEY! LEMME OUT OF HERE, YOU BASTARD!"

The Beast rolled his eyes with a gruff snort and ignored Natsu completely, enraging the Fire Dragonslayer even further. He tried to shoot fire at the Beast, but the metal man deflected it with a flick of his wrist. It didn't even penetrate his scales, but he did look a bit irritated.

"You know who I am, punk?" he asked Natsu, turning his intimidating red gaze to the cell next to Lucy's. "Take a wild guess."

"You're the Beast, duh," Natsu said.

The Beast smiled, menacing and sinister. "Try again."

"How the hell am I supposed to know? Why don't you just tell me?"

"I am Gajeel Redfox," the Beast declared, his grin getting bigger. "The Iron Dragonslayer."

There was a moment of shocked silence. Lucy reviewed all that she knew about the Beast in her mind. Adopted by a monster at a young age, raised as the monster's own...like Natsu and Igneel. It was no monster that raised Gajeel Redfox. It was a dragon. An Iron Dragon.

"No way," Natsu growled.

"It's true," Gajeel answered. "I'm sure you've heard my story, right? Everybody comes lookin' for 'the Beast's iron castle,' so I guess you do. I'm an Iron Dragonslayer. And you're a Fire Dragonslayer. I can tell just by your smell."

"Where's your dragon now?" Natsu asked.

"Metalicana left. Seven years ago."

"July 7th?"

Gajeel blinked. "Yeah, how d'you know?"

"That's when Igneel left." Natsu pondered something. "But wait, why did your dragon curse you and Igneel didn't curse me...?"

Gajeel roared and struck the iron bars of Natsu's cage. Lucy flinched. "Metalicana didn't curse me, dammit!" he yelled, waking Pantherlily in the process. "It was that stupid freakin' witch! She cursed me after Metalicana left!"

"Porlyusica?" Lucy blurted.

The Iron Dragonslayer turned to her. "I don't know what the hell her name is! She made me weak, though, took away my powers. I'll get her back if it's the last thing I do."

"But if you find someone to love, won't that break the curse?"

Lucy shrieked and ducked as Gajeel threw a tray of food at her, splattering her with assorted gooey substances. The metal tray clattered to the floor, loud in the silent room.

"Hey!" Natsu protested.

"Shut up, both of you!" Gajeel shouted back, looking more agitated than ever. He turned and stomped out of the dungeons, slamming the door behind him.

Pantherlily sighed. "That's kind of a touchy subject for him."

"Aye," Happy agreed.

"Why?" Lucy asked.

Pantherlily glanced at her, almost looking amused. "Would _you_ ever fall in love with him?"

"I see your point."

"He's definitely capable of love, despite any twisted delusions he might have," Pantherlily explained. "He thinks that no woman will ever love him because of his appearance, but I think there's one out there. It's his personality she'll have some trouble getting used to."

"Why does he act like that? To scare us?"

"Yes. He doesn't want to get attached to his prisoners, but more likely than not he'll let you out in a couple days and you'll be sentenced to a life of servitude."

"WHAT?" the trio said simultaneously. Natsu threw himself against the bars to get a better look at Pantherlily. "I can't do that, I've got to find Igneel!"

"And I have to go home!" Lucy added.

"And I'm lazy!" Happy exclaimed.

Pantherlily shrugged. "Well, he's certainly not going to release you. You're just lucky he doesn't kill trespassers anymore."

"Anymore?" Lucy squeaked.

"I guarantee that no matter how grotesque you think he is, no one thinks that Gajeel Redfox is a monster more than the Beast himself," Pantherlily said vaguely. He hopped off the stool and stretched. "Anyway, you'll see that servitude isn't so bad. He treats you alright, once you get to know him. I'm going to bed, myself. Good morning and good night."

The watched Pantherlily hop up the steps to the dungeon door. Lucy frowned at the floor. _No one thinks that Gajeel Redfox is a monster more than the Beast himself_. What did the Exceed mean by that? What did Gajeel do that was so horrible?

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess, guys," Natsu said, interrupting her reverie. "I'll find a way to get us out of here, don't worry."

"I've got it covered," Lucy answered.

"What? How?"

Lucy reached into her blouse and pulled out Plue's key. "My magic. When we were running away from the fire I accidentally turned Plue into a Celestial Spirit. He's a silver key now." She felt a sinking feeling of guilt as she said this. Poor Plue. She wondered what he was thinking. Or if he could even think at all, in the Celestial Spirit world. She'd never thought to ask what it was like.

"Okaaay...? How does that help us?"

"He's small enough to slide in between the bars of the window. All I have to do is send him to Hosenka with a message to Levy, and she'll find some way to come and get us." Lucy held the key out in front of her, feeling the magic go from her fingertips to her tongue, putting the words in her mouth. "Open the Gate to the Canis Major: Nikora!"

Nikora?

Plue popped into view. He grinned and hugged Lucy's legs. Lucy squealed and caught him in a bone-crushing embrace. "Plue, I'm so sorry I turned you into a Celestial Spirit! I didn't mean to, I swear! You can still walk around with us and be my pet!"

They quickly drew up a contract, and Lucy explained to Plue the situation. "...Anyway, I need you to slip through those bars and run to Levy and tell her what's going on. Can you do that?"

Plue paused, then nodded in determination. Lucy grabbed him and hoisted him up. They were below the earth, so the window was close to the ground. His only challenge now would be getting out of the property and to Levy alive. Lucy prayed he would make it. He was probably their only hope.

Plue easily grabbed the bars and pulled himself through a gap and outside. He turned and waved goodbye to his master, then hobbled away and out of sight.


	28. Plue's Message

**XXVIII. Plue's Message**

Levy yawned and rubbed sleep out of her eyes as she made her way to her bookstore, Shadow Gear Books & Such. Jet and Droy probably wouldn't be there yet; it was still quite early in the morning. But Levy wanted to get some reading done, and that was best accomplished while left alone and in peace.

When she arrived at Shadow Gear, she froze in her tracks. Standing outside of the doors was a small white figure with a golden horn for a nose. "Plue?" she said in surprise. "What are you doing here? Where's Lu-chan?"

Plue wobbled over to her. He looked rather worse for wear, his fur slightly grayed and his usually gleeful expression drooped and glum. He had a faint, almost iridescent quality to him, as if he would disappear at any moment. Levy gathered the exhausted creature in her arms, looking worried. "What happened to you? Come on inside, I'll get you something to eat."

She unlocked the door to the shop and laid him on an upholstered chair, bustling over to the kitchen in the back. What did Canis Majors like to eat? She finally decided on carrots and water, as those where the healthiest of the choices available.

Plue was standing right behind her when Levy turned around. She jumped and nearly dropped the food. "Don't scare me like that, Plue! Go sit down and I'll bring you some food. I know it's not much, but it's all I have here."

The dog shook his head vigorously, waving his hands urgently. Levy frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked. "What are you trying to tell me?"

Plue looked frantically around for some way to communicate with the solid script mage. He gestured to the mechanism that had sprayed Natsu in the face just a few days before. "Natsu?" Levy guessed. Plue nodded, and made a 'continue on' motion with his paws. "Lucy? Happy, too? What's wrong with them?"

The dog thought for a moment, then hobbled over to the table where Lucy had skimmed through _Tales of the East_. The book was still on the table, as no one had bothered to put it back on the shelf in all the chaos of the store. Plue scrambled onto the chair and opened it, flipping it to _The Cursed Beast _chapter. He pointed at the page.

Levy gazed thoughtfully at the illustration for a moment, then finally came to a realization. "Natsu, Happy, and Lu-chan are trapped at the Beast's castle!" she gasped. Plue nodded in confirmation, wiping sweat off his brow in relief.

Just then, Jet and Droy walked into the store. "Morning, Levy!" they said cheerfully, oblivious to the heavy atmosphere in the room. Levy wheeled around, and they came to a halt when they saw her horrified face. "Levy! What's wrong?"

"We have to go help them!" she said, grabbing Plue and rushing out of the store. Jet and Droy glanced at each other and followed her, both of them thoroughly confused.

"Levy! Hey, Levy, where're you going?"

She didn't miss a beat. "To save my friends!"

Jet huffed in frustration and used his speed to catch up with her, gripping her by the elbow. "Tell us what's going on. The whole story."

Levy hurriedly explained, becoming more hysterical with every passing minute. What was the Beast doing to them now? He was said to kill anyone who came onto his property.

Droy seemed skeptical. "I thought that was just a myth."

Plue shook his head.

"Well, if Lucy and Natsu couldn't vanquish him, what makes you think we can?" Jet reasoned, fiddling with the fringe of his hat. "Look, why don't we go to the Rune Knights about this? Maybe they can do something."

Levy nodded, a bit more calm now that the initial shock was over. How foolish was she, rushing into the dangerous East Forest all by herself? She was weak, and she knew it. If Jet and Droy hadn't been there, she probably would've been hurt...or worse.

But when the four of them went to the Rune Knights for help, they laughed in their faces. Even when Levy claimed that Plue could show them the way to the iron stronghold and the dog hastily agreed, the Knights laughed harder.

"That's just a stupid myth!" one cried, wiping a tear from his eye. "Next you're going to be claiming you saw the Witch!"

"Hey, hey, 'member that kid from a couple days ago, the one with the pink hair? Askin' if we'd seen a big red dragon?" another one chuckled, nudging his friend. The group fell into another fit of guffaws. Levy's face became a furious red.

"I happen to know him, and he knows a heck of a lot more about dragons than you do! He's a Fire Dragonslayer! That dragon he was looking for his was foster father, the Fire Dragon Igneel!"

This only caused the group to erupt into more laughter. Tears started to form in Levy's eyes, from rage or embarrassment or helplessness, she couldn't say which. She clutched Plue tighter in her arms. "You people are inconsiderate jerks!" she cried, the tears threatening to spill. "You're supposed to be helping citizens in need, but all you're doing is laughing at someone in distress!"

"You better listen to her, men," Jet put in, looking mildly displeased. "She knows King Fried and Queen Mirajane personally."

That sobered up the Rune Knights very quickly. "Look, we're sorry we can't help you," the first one said. "But we've gotten complaints about the Beast from all over and we've never found his castle. Trust me, we've looked all over the forest."

"Plue can take you there!" Levy persisted, shoving the shivering dog in the Knight's face. He stared at him for a minute, then pushed the Canis Major away.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

Levy slumped her shoulders in defeat, then set her mouth in a determined way. "Fine," she said briskly. "Thank you for all your help." She turned on her heel and marched out of the facility, a surprised Jet and Droy behind her. It wasn't like Levy to just give up.

"Now what?" Droy inquired as they left.

"If they're not going, then we are," Levy answered, marching toward her apartment. "We're going to pack supplies and Plue is going to take us there immediately. I'm not leaving Lucy and Natsu and Happy there to die."

"Levy, think about this for a second," Jet persuaded, taking long strides to keep up with Levy's quick pace. "We're just three people. How are we going to take on the Beast and whatever servants he might have?"

"We are three perfectly exceptional mages!" Levy declared, coming to a stop to look Jet and Droy in the eye. "There's no reason we can't take on this little rescue mission! I'm going whether you do or not, but I certainly hope that I won't have to go alone."

"Of course not!" Jet and Droy said, scandalized.

"Then pack your bags and meet me at the edge of the East Forest in an hour," Levy instructed, picking up her pace again. She patted Plue's head, giving him a small, hopeful smile. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to save Lu-chan and the others. One way or another."


	29. Butting Heads

**XXIX: Butting Heads**

By the time night fell on the three travelers meandering through the East Forest, Plue was looking quite ill. Levy fussed over him relentlessly, eventually opting to carry him while he pointed the way. The poor thing could barely walk, he was so weak.

Jet and Droy wanted to stop for the night, but Levy urged them to keep walking, Plue backing her up. No one could deny the short, stubborn blunette when she had her mind set, especially when she had support on the matter. So they continued in the dark, the word 'light' heading the way so they could see. Despite the glow Levy managed to keep up, they could still not see more than a few feet in front of them. The clusters of trees were thick, and an eerie fog was descending upon the ground, dampening their clothes and making vision almost impossible. The three of them nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard a howl in the distance.

"Levy, I really think we should stop," Droy whispered, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"No!" Levy hissed back. "Stopping now isn't going to do us any good. We need to keep going. Besides, we're almost there, aren't we, Plue?"

Plue nodded, waving a feeble hand in the forward direction. Levy set her shoulders in determination and pressed on, Jet and Droy lagging behind her. They'd seen that look before. Now there was definitely no way she was giving in.

Eventually Plue made a noise for them to stop and pointed urgently. Levy walked for a little longer, heading to his directions, until a gigantic structure materialized from the mist. The Shadow Gear gaped, taking in the rusted iron castle that appeared to be held together by a few bolts. Great, curling squares of metal littered the green yard thriving with overgrown weeds, as well as glass and - Levy gulped - the bones of animals. Or at least, she hoped they were animals'.

Plue hopped down from Levy's arms and fearlessly skipped toward the iron stronghold, scrambling through a hole in the dilapidated gate. He looked back and pressed a paw to his lips, signalling for them to be quiet. Levy gritted her teeth and followed suit, sliding through the hole with a little difficulty. There was no way that her companions were going to fit.

"Stay out here and keep watch," she breathed. "We'll be right back." _I hope_, she added in her head, but she didn't say it.

Plue was a white specter in a cemetery of an abandoned hope. Levy couldn't help but notice as she looked around that everything radiated a sense of neglect. As if someone had just given up on it. _With a little care and attention, this place would be awesome_, she thought. _Lots of room for books_.

He lead her to the back of the stronghold and squatted down at the foundation of the structure. There were a series of small, rectangular windows near the ground, barred to keep intruders out. Or to keep prisoners in.

Levy heard a familiar voice. "Plue! Oh, what happened to you?"

She hastily crawled forward as Plue slid through the bars of the window and into the room beyond. She peaked in and saw Lucy with Plue in her arms, gazing down at him with worry. When Levy's form blocked the moonlight, the blonde looked up in alarm.

"Levy!" she gasped.

"Hey, Lu-chan. I'm here to rescue you."

Lucy looked close to tears. "Levy-chan, you shouldn't have come. You should've gotten somebody else to come."

"I would have, but nobody believed me. Don't worry, you can count on me."

"No, that's not it," Lucy said, shaking her head. "You don't know what he's like, it's awful. He uses me as target practice, and - "

"Shh! I don't want to hear it." Levy whipped out her solid script pen and the notepad she always carried around. She wrote the word 'sharp' and watched as it materialized in the form of several lethal knives. "I'll get you and Natsu out of here, don't worry."

Lucy's eyes widened. "LEVY, LOOK OUT!"

Levy screamed as someone grabbed the back of her collar, hoisting her at least three feet off of the ground. She came face-to-face with two seething red eyes.

The Beast smirked and peered down at a horrified Lucy. "This is the reinforcement you sent that thing after?" he sneered, letting Levy drop to the ground as he erupted into hearty laughter. "How sad! I wasn't expecting much, but I was expecting better than a little blue pipsqueak!"

Levy scowled. She grabbed her pen and her notebook and scribbled one word: fire. The word sprang from the page and engulfed the Beast, extinguishing after only a few moments. He raised an eyebrow at her, his metal scales unscathed.

"That's the best you got?"

Levy gasped as the Beast's foot connected with her abdomen and she flew backward, clutching her midsection in pain. She heard Natsu's surprised voice, then saw a shadow as the Beast bared down on her again.

"Stop it! Gajeel, just let her go!" Lucy cried from her cell, out of eye shot from the scene. The Beast - Gajeel - paid her no heed. He grabbed Levy by her hair and yanked her off the ground. Tears sprang into Levy's eyes from the pain, but she pressed her lips together and refused to cry out.

"You cryin' now, shorty?" Gajeel taunted, his breath hot and metalic in her face. Levy squeezed her eyes shut and didn't dare open them as the first of the tears spilled, racing down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. "You know what I do to crybabies?"

Levy felt Gajeel shift his weight, bringing an arm back for another blow. She braced herself for the hard, solid impact.

"Gajeel!"

The punch didn't come. Levy opened one eye, peering over Gajeel's shoulder at the source of the voice, a huge black cat that stood on two legs and carried an equally huge sword. He glared at the back of Gajeel's head, daring him to make another move. Levy closed her eyes again before she was tempted to look at the Beast's expression.

The cat spoke again in a calm, dangerous voice. "Let her go. She's weaker than you are, and smaller. It's cowardly and cruel to try to fight her. Let her go. Now."

Levy didn't think he would do it. There was a moment of hesitation, and she took that moment to prepare herself again. But, to her surprise, Gajeel relaxed his grip on her hair and she dropped to the ground. She winced as he turned on his heel and stomped away and out of sight.

There was a sigh from the cat. When Levy looked up, he was no longer huge; in fact, he was right around Happy's size. She blinked. Maybe she was hallucinating.

"You should leave now," the cat told her, gazing intently in the direction the Beast went. Levy sniffed and wiped her face with the back of her hand, ignoring the throbbing pain in her midsection as she stood up.

"No."

The cat glanced at her sharply. "What?"

"No," Levy repeated, louder this time. "Not without my friends."

"Levy-chan, just go home," Lucy moaned from her cell.

"No! I'm not leaving without you three!" Levy shouted, clenching her fists. "You wouldn't abandon me, and you know it! How can you ask me to do that to you?"

"If you're not going to leave, I'll have to take you prisoner," the cat said. "Either that, or you convince Gajeel to release them, which, I assure you, is not going to be easy."

"Take me to the Beast," Levy said.

"NO!" Lucy, Natsu, and Happy yelled at the same time.

The cat shrugged. "Very well."

"Pantherlily! Don't let her go!" Happy pleaded.

"I can't deny her request if she actually _wants_ to see the Iron Dragonslayer," the cat, Pantherlily, said. Levy admitted that it probably was unusual for people to ask to see the Beast, but she kept her mouth shut on the matter. Something else caught her attention.

"Iron Dragonslayer?"

"Yes. Gajeel is not a beast, contrary to popular belief. He is an Iron Dragonslayer," Pantherlily explained solemnly.

Levy glanced at Natsu's face peeping from the bars of his cell. "Like you?"

"Yeah," Natsu replied, disgruntled.

"His dragon's gone, too?"

"Yes, Metallicana left seven years ago," Pantherlily said.

"Metallicana." Levy tried the name out on her tongue.

"Enough chit-chat," the cat declared. "I'll get you cleaned up, and then you can go see Gajeel about your friends."

Levy nodded and followed him to the doors of the castle.

"Levy-chan! Please, don't do this!"

The blunette stopped and turned to Lucy, giving her friend a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here," she said for the third time that night.

This time, she hoped it was the truth.


	30. Deal With The Devil

_**Author's Note:** Chapter thirty already! Have I mentioned that this is going to be a very long story? There's still a lot more to go. I know that my chapters are shorter than usual (especially lately) but I promise that things are going to pick up again soon. I've just been very busy. I wanted to give a big shout-out to those of you who continue to read this despite the ever-shrinking size of the chapters and my cliffhangers, which are surely infuriating. Thanks so much for all of your support!_

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><p><strong>XXX: Deal With The Devil<strong>

The interior of the iron castle was as lovely as the outside suggested. The Beast obviously had complete reign, as there were scratches and bite marks (?) all over the walls, ceiling, and floor. It had once been richly embellished, but most of the decor was ripped or broken beyond disrepair. Levy despaired to think what the library might look like, if there was one.

Pantherlily took her to one room that was relatively neat and virtually unscathed. Levy guessed that it was his, and that Gajeel was decent enough to allow him some privacy.

The cat took her into a bathroom and ran some hot water in a tub, ordering her to strip and soak. Levy thought it was ridiculous, but Pantherlily threatened not to take her to her meeting if she didn't. So she had no choice.

After she met Pantherlily's strict standard of sanitation - which Levy would label as 'sterile' - she dressed in something that the cat laid out for her, since her clothes were dirty and ripped from a day of hiking. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she wasn't sure if she should be embarrassed or angry.

Levy was a relatively modest person by her generation's standards. She never exposed too much skin or dressed too extravagantly, but somehow Pantherlily's dress seemed to have accomplished both. It was sleek violet dress that slid off of her shoulders and fell to her knees in an elegant ripple, flickering whenever she moved. She raised an eyebrow at him, placing her hands on her hips. The dress was nice for her body type, which was rather undeveloped, but that did not excuse the fact that it was much too fancy for the occasion.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I never kid," Pantherlily said, taking a towel to her hair and raking a comb through it. He had her tie it back with a fluid metallic bandanna that reminded Levy of quicksilver, and put her in perilous heels. Once he discovered the severity of her coordination, he replaced those with strappy silver sandals.

"I'm not going anywhere like this!" Levy protested. "I look stupid!"

Pantherlily rolled his eyes but spared no response, thereby thwarting Levy's angry attempts at an argument that she, in her stubbornness, would inevitably win. It seemed as though the cat had experience in dealing with difficult people, which did not bode well for her.

He lead her through a series of cavernous rooms in various states of disrepair. There was a lack of small corridors, Levy noticed. Probably because a dragon used to live there.

Pantherlily yelped as Levy accidentally stepped on his tail. "I'm so sorry!" she blurted as he held it in his arms. "You just stopped, and I didn't - "

"Enough. It's fine." Pantherlily, now recovered, glanced at the door. "I'll go get him. Stay right here, don't move a muscle."

He opened a door to outside. Levy curiously peaked her head out and caught a glimpse of a dead courtyard garden before Pantherlily shut the door with a metallic echo and left her standing alone in the room.

She waited for what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes. Faint voices leeched through the heavy metal door at intervals. Levy thought that maybe the Beast was yelling.

The cat finally came back in. "He's agreed to meet with you outside to talk but...well, I wouldn't count on him changing his mind."

"Thanks for the warning," Levy said, setting her shoulders like a small warrior readying herself for battle. "I'll do it, though. For my friends. For my nakama."

Pantherlily paused, giving her one last piece of advice. "Call him Gajeel, not Beast."

The ashy grass crunched beneath Levy's feet as she stepped outside, looking around. The garden must have been beautiful at one time, but all that remained now where bleached, skeletal remains of flora half-buried under dry soil. In the very center of the garden there was a thriving rosebush, a smudge of vibrant green in a sea of gray and brown. There was a single red rose in full blossom, its scarlet petals so bright it hurt Levy's eyes to look at it. She felt like the rosebush, too exotic and colorful with her pretty clothes and eccentric hair to be surviving in a drab environment like this.

Yet, it was obvious that the rosebush did not grow on its own. Someone took care of it diligently and tenderly, that one solitary rosebush, amidst all the other plants in the garden. Seated on the ground next to the rosebush, Levy spotted the most likely candidate. At the same time, it was rather hard to wrap her head around: the hideous Beast nursing this exquisite rosebush to health.

Levy took slow, careful steps to where the Beast sat and stood there, following his line of vision to the rose. He was staring at it. Trying not to look at her. Ignoring her.

"May I sit?"

Gajeel shrugged, still not looking up. Levy took this as permission and knelt next to him on the ground, gently folding the dress around her knees. She, too, gazed at the rose, thinking of how to make her request. The Beast didn't seem like the kind of person who appreciated pretty speech, so she decided to be forward.

"Will you let my friends go?" There. Short, sweet, and to the point.

"No." Also short, sweet, and to the point.

Levy scowled. "Why not? They're just sitting in a dungeon, miserable."

"They trespassed on my territory," Gajeel said, turning to look at her for the first time. "They're lucky they're not dead. Eventually I'll let 'em out and they can be my servants. Maybe. I dunno, depends on how annoying they are."

"That's unfair!"

"I ain't got to tell you that life's not fair. I'm sure you've heard it plenty of times," Gajeel remarked, rolling his eyes.

Levy bit her lip, thinking. Natsu and Lucy had so much they wanted to do. They had missions in life, goals, wishes. What goals did she have? Nothing. Nothing but running her little store in Hosenka Town. "What if...what if I stayed? Would you let them go then?"

"What would I want with a little pipsqueak like you?" Gajeel snorted. _That's a good question_, Levy thought. She couldn't come up with an answer. Except...

"I'm a solid script mage. I work with words. Maybe...maybe I could work on breaking your curse." Levy crossed her fingers behind her back.

That definitely got his attention. He tapped his chin thoughtfully, then nodded. "Alright. I'll let go of your friends and you...when you break my curse."

Levy shook her head. "No. You have to let my friends go first."

"No. You break my curse."

"Not until you release my friends."

"Break my curse first."

"No, I won't until you release my friends."

"How about this?" Gajeel hissed, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "I'll let two of your friends go, and then the other three can leave when you break my curse."

"What? I thought you only had Lucy, Natsu, and Happy!" Levy cried.

"Nope, I caught your two stooges when they were wanderin' around the gate. If I hadn't, you wouldn't've made it so close to the dungeons."

Levy shivered. "You have Jet and Droy, too..." Was it fair to keep three others here while she figured out the stupid curse? How long would it take? Weeks, months, years? It was impossible to know.

But it was her only hope.

She took a deep, decisive breath. "Okay," she said. "It's a deal. You let two of them go, I'll find a way to break your curse, and then the rest of us get to leave. Right?"

Gajeel grinned, savage and menacing. It sent chills up Levy's spine.

"Shorty, you got yourself a deal."


	31. Be My Guest

**XXXI: Be My Guest**

Gajeel had to give the little blue girl some credit; she could act tough when she wanted. She strutted to the dungeons like she owned the whole damn castle, her jaw set, her shoulders back. No doubt preparing for the goodbyes soon to come.

Her buddies jumped to their feet when he opened to the door, shedding light on their barren surroundings. Pantherlily was there too, probably gossipping all about the situation. Gajeel knew that the cat was his only true, loyal friend, but sometimes he wondered if Lily had his own private agenda he was working on.

The blunette came to a stop in front of the five cells, the first signs on uncertainty showing on her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but Gajeel decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Alright, here's the deal." He nudged her out of the way, taking her completely off guard. Once she got over that, she just scowled at him as if that would intimidate him into moving. "Your little shorty here, she's decided that she wants to stay and help me out with my little problem. So, two of you get to go away."

He let that sink in for a moment, and grinned as the protests started. Most of them were directed at Levy, the blue girl, berating her for making such a reckless decision. She stared at her feet, staying silent until her friends' anger fizzled out.

Gajeel pointed at the two stooges he'd found loitering at the gate. They were weak, sorry excuses for mages. Besides, the other guy was a Dragonslayer, so maybe Gajeel could find out something from him. He knew that the pink guy wouldn't leave without his girl or his cat, though, so there was no point in telling them to go. "You two, pack your bags and get out."

"What! No way, we're not leaving without Levy!" they said.

"I'm tellin' you to get out of here right now, or I'll keep all your asses down here until you die and rot away."

The stooges opened their mouths to object, but Levy beat them to it. "Jet. Droy. Please, just go. I'm only staying for a little while, until I can find a way to break his curse. It'll help me to know that you two, at least, are safe. I shouldn't have dragged you into all this."

"It's not your fault," the one with the hat said. He gave Gajeel a pointed look, making it clear whose fault he thought his imprisonment was.

"We're not leaving without you, and that's final," the other one declared, stamping his feet on the ground and crossing his arms defiantly. Gajeel rolled his eyes. This was getting old.

He grabbed Levy and wrapped a hand around her slender, delicate throat. She gasped and pawed at his hand, gazing up at him in terror. "Both of you agree to leave and never come back or I'll kill her," he said simply. He squeezed just to prove his point.

"STOP!" everyone cried, panicked.

"Fine, we'll go!" the one with the hat said. "Just get your filthy hands off of her!"

Gajeel shrugged and released the solid script mage, walking past her as she sputtered and coughed and rubbed her neck in disbelief. He unlocked the stooges' cells. "There, you're free. If you're not off my property in three minutes, I'll consider you intruders again and kill you."

They scowled at him, meandering their way to their little bookworm. They whispered to her, not thinking that Gajeel could hear. He could.

"Don't worry guys, I'll be fine," the girl reassured. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You don't have to do this, Levy," one stooge said. "I think the three of us could take him, don't you?"

"No," Levy hissed. "Don't even think about it. Just go, please."

_Listen to her_, Gajeel thought with a smirk. _She's definitely the smart one_.

The three said their mushy goodbyes, and the stooges left. Later Gajeel would send Pantherlily to check to see if they were still on his turf, but he had a feeling that they would stay away. As transfixed as they were by their little girlfriend, they would do anything she asked when she looked at them with those eyes.

Pathetic suckers.

Gajeel glanced at the gloomy blunette, whose shoulders were now slumped with sorrow. He huffed and turned on his heel. "Well, better get to work then."

"Wait!" she exclaimed, snapping back into reality. "Aren't you going to let Natsu and Lucy and Happy out of this dirty place?"

"That wasn't part of the deal," Gajeel pointed out. "And you better get used to this dirty place, 'cause it's where you're stayin'."

"No way! You have this whole castle, and you're cooping us up down here? You're being a selfish jerk!"

Gajeel shrugged. "I've been called worse."

"I won't work down here." Levy winced as the Iron Dragonslayer suddenly bared down on her, the heat of anger rolling off of him in palpable waves.

"I kept my end of the bargain," he growled, his voice a low rumble in his chest. "Now you do your part. If not, it'll be easy for me to track down your little boy toys."

Levy broke out into a nervous sweat, but squared her shoulders and stood her ground. "How do you expect me to work down here? How do you expect me to work knowing my friends are down here? If you want this curse broken, you have to accommodate me just a little bit."

Shit. Now he could see why the stooges were so malleable in her tiny hands. Those big brown eyes, they sucked you in real quick. You could get lost in them.

Gajeel glowered and slumped away, somewhat defeated. "Fine, whatever. Lily, let 'em out and assign them rooms. But you three" - he pointed to Happy, Natsu, and Lucy in turn - "while she's workin', you're going to be helpin' Lily out. Got it?"

The three nodded mutely, their eyes wide. It made Gajeel even surlier. "Would you stop starin' at me, dammit! It's freakin' creepy!" He turned on his heel and stomped his way angrily up the stairs and out of the dungeon, the faintest of agitated - or so he told himself - red flushes crawling up the back of his neck.


	32. Skinning Cats

**XXXII: Skinning Cats**

It felt so good to be back in an actual, inhabitable room even if it was made out of ugly metal, Lucy decided. Her designated room was huge, but it only came with the barest necessities: a bed and a dresser. Times two. Because she and Levy would be sharing a room.

Lucy was still angry at Levy for the deal she'd made. Now her friend had to suffer along with them, spending who knew how long working on this stupid curse that Levy admitted she had no idea how to undo.

"But this is better than before," she'd say whenever Lucy brought it up. "Now you have livable conditions, and you're not so miserable. Besides, I'll have this fixed in no time. You'll see."

These were empty words on Levy's part, and Lucy knew it. But she supposed that what was done was done, and after a few more days of letting her grudge simmer she finally chose to forgive Levy. The solid script mage had made a sacrifice for her, and all that was left to do now was to appreciate it.

Lucy's life in the iron dwelling was better in some ways and worse in others. She now had a comfortable bed and companionship with Levy, Natsu, and Happy - who were across the hall - not to mention the fact that she was no longer being used as a target for sharp metal knives. However, while Levy locked herself up in the library day after day, Pantherlily spared his three slaves no mercy. He had them constantly cleaning, polishing, redecorating, gathering, and doing whatever other task he set them out to do.

"I've been trying to fix this place up for years," he said with contempt when they complained. "Now I've finally got help and I can accomplish that goal."

Lucy had to admit, the Exceed did his fair share of work. Within three days, the right wing of the iron castle was utterly unrecognizable. It was clean and shiny and there was no rust anywhere. When the castle was actually given a little love, it was a beautiful place.

Levy helped out with the repairs when she could. Things always seemed to move along with her around, but Lucy suspected that it was less because of her cleaning abilities and more of her bright personality. Even though she was a little bit down because of the predicament, she was hopeful that she would find a solution and get them out of there. So most of the time she holed herself up in the library, not reemerging for hours at a time. Sometime she came out defeated or fatigued. Sometimes Lucy had to get Natsu to carry her to their room because she'd fallen asleep in the midst of her studies.

As for the Cursed Beast himself, the others saw little of him. Occasionally Lucy would spot him brooding around the castle or sneaking a peak in the library to check on Levy. These interruptions more often than not led to a spat that resulted in Gajeel's banishment. That is, when the Iron Dragonslayer made his presence known.

Gajeel spent a lot of time outside in the courtyard. Lucy asked Pantherlily what was out there one day, but the only reply she got was a sigh and a vague answer: "The last thread he has to cling to."

Lucy didn't know what that meant, but she decided not to press the matter.

Natsu and Gajeel always ended up fighting whenever they ran into each other. Lucy had originally thought that they might join forces and bond over their common loss, but when one of their brawls ended up demolishing half of the back corridor of the castle she realized that it was never going to happen. They were both creatures of battle, and that was the only way they knew how to communicate. It seemed civilized conversation was beyond their comprehension.

When she was bored, Lucy had taken to wandering the castle with Plue. Apparently Celestial Spirits couldn't stay for more than a few days in the real world, as established when Plue nearly died trying to get help. She still felt bad about that, about her ignorance concerning her own power. She'd never meant to turn Plue into a Spirit; she hadn't even known she was capable of turning an animated object into one. If she could change Plue, who was to say that she couldn't change a human being? Lucy certainly did not want anyone being sentenced to eternal servitude because of her, particularly no one that she was close to. A certain Dragonslayer came to mind whenever her thoughts spiraled in this direction, but considering the fact that her powers seemed to manifest when her emotions were running high, she decided to ignore that particular connection her brain made.

She supposed that the only way to control her power was to practice with what she had, but a clock, a lyre, a crab, and a dog weren't exactly battle material. After a few tries, she abandoned that foolishness and resigned herself to flipping through ancient text to find any sign of Celestial magic. She remembered something in Jose's notes: there had been three known Celestial Spirit mages besides herself, one of which included her mother, another who was dead. The last, a woman who went by the alias "Angel," her whereabouts were unknown. Lucy, no matter how much poured over the manuscripts of the Hart clan genealogy beside Levy in the library, could not track down Angel's location.

Lucy was on her way to the library late one night with Plue teetering along beside her. She was more on a mission to get Levy, but decided that a little bit of studying couldn't hurt. Not that there was much left to study; general genealogy on the ancient magical families only went so far in an outdated library.

The library was surprisingly magnificent. It was large and barred against weather, and was probably the only area of the iron castle besides Pantherlily's room that Gajeel hadn't torn up in his fits of rage. Pantherlily explained that Metallicana had drove the importance of information into Gajeel's brain, and even the Beast understood that the extensive knowledge contained within the yellowed pages of all these books was the key to his cure. The only problem was that Metallicana never enforced the importance of reading and understanding this information, therefore the complex curse Gajeel was afflicted with was beyond his understanding.

Lucy strolled through the aisles when she saw Levy at a table, her head laid down in the open pages of a book. The blunette was fast asleep. Lucy sighed and turned on her heel, prepared to go get Natsu. But a short, lurking figure in the next aisle caught her attention.

"Pantherlily?"

The Exceed actually jumped when she said his name, then made swifted shushing motions. Curiously, Lucy peaked over his head to see what he was spying on.

Gajeel stepped into the library, looking around for Levy's bright blue head. He spotted her and grumbled irritably, making his way over to the table where she slept. The Beast considered the small girl for a moment, the shook his head and knelt down. He slipped a hand under her knees and the other at the small of her back, then hoisted her out of the chair as if she weighed nothing. Lucy watched him take Levy away, her small body cradled in his arms.

Pantherlily grinned and nodded approvingly. Lucy was confused. "What was that all about?"

"You poor, ignorant soul, you," the cat sighed, turning to Lucy and gazing upon her with pity. She scowled, but Pantherlily continued, undeterred. "You see, fair Lucy, there is more than one way to skin a cat." He shuddered. "Ugh, I've always hated that analogy."

"What are you talking about?"

"Gajeel wants his curse broken," Pantherlily explained. "As far as he's concerned, the only way to accomplish that is to get Levy to come up with some kind of countercurse. However, there is another way to break the curse that Gajeel is forgetting all about. One that might not be easier, but will probably make him happier in the end."

Lucy frowned. "Are you talking about the whole 'true love' thing?"

"Yes."

"But I don't understand - " Lucy stopped mid-sentence and gasped, finally realizing what Pantherlily was implying. "No way! You're trying to get Levy and Gajeel together!"

Pantherlily nodded gravely. "Yes, and it's very sticky business. However, as you can see, it's heading in the right direction."

"There's no way that could ever work," Lucy dismissed. "Levy has another life back in Hosenka. She can't spend the rest of it here with Gajeel. Besides, they're polar opposites. I mean, he's hostile and violent and she's bright and intelligent."

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'opposites attract'?" Pantherlily pointed out. "I'm deciding to go with that logic for the time being. You'll see, it's going to work out. Once Gajeel realizes that he's in love with Levy, he'll let her go. She'll either leave, or she'll want to stay."

"How do you know he loves her?" Lucy asked.

"He might not love her yet, but he's certainly different around her. He's less...how should I put this...cold. Cruel. And I've never known Gajeel to compromise. Ever. But he did with her, for one reason or another. This is also the first time he's shown consideration for anyone. If it were you at that table, do you think he would have brought you back to your room?"

Lucy had to admit, she had trouble picturing Gajeel doing anything of the sort for her. Still, she thought that the foundation for Pantherlily's plan was flimsy. And there was one fatal flaw that he seemed to have overlooked.

"Let's say, hypothetically, he gives her the option of leaving," Lucy proposed. "What if she decides not to stay?"

Pantherlily looked grim. "Then everything will fall apart."


	33. Imbalance In The Equation

_**Author's Note:** Sorry for the slight delay on the update. Busy, busy weekend. Honestly, this almost got postponed again...but I managed to make some time. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the pattern I've got going, but updates might be a little more sporadic than usual. I apologize in advance._

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><p><strong>XXXIII: Imbalance In The Equation<strong>

Levy felt like she was suffocating.

She was in one of the most extraordinary libraries she'd ever laid eyes on, but her frazzled nerves could not conjure up enough emotion for her bookish self to enjoy it. The resources she had at her fingertips were so extensive that every day she was shifting through more than fifty different books, taking notes, marking places, committing things to memory, and she still had three huge shelves to go. And those were only books that dealt specifically with curses and spells. It wouldn't hurt to go through other things connected with the situation, such as human-animal transformations, well-known witches in the area, Dragonslayers, and maybe even Metallicana himself. That was bound to be another five shelves worth of information to analyze. The very thought left Levy anxious.

At first it was okay. She paced herself. But as she was more engrossed in the mystery of the curse, the more things spiralled out of control. She thought it was a puzzle. It was not. It was a labyrinth. A maze of words so finely constructed that Levy had no idea where to start. She needed a thread she could pull to make the whole thing unravel, but whoever administered this curse was thorough and left no obvious traces. Levy was constantly hitting dead ends, and often her carefully catalogued notes went to waste.

Levy was sure that her burning desire to solve the mystery was quite literally driving her insane. She spent nearly all of her time in the library now, hardly stopping to eat or sleep. More often than not she slept in the library using a book for a pillow, and woke with an aching back and ink smudged on her face. She was starting to get gaps in her memory. She would fall asleep in the library and wake up in her room, not remembering how on earth she'd gotten there.

Lucy was constantly asking if she was doing okay, so Levy imagined that her distress was starting to show. One day she looked at herself in the mirror and realized that she had no idea how long it had been since she'd showered. There were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep and stress. Her back and neck were suffering from long hours hunched over a table, and her eyes were dry and bloodshot from staring at the pages of books.

It seemed like _she_ was unraveling, rather than the curse.

Nevertheless, after she'd gotten a shower and changed she marched into the library to resume her work. But when she got there, Gajeel was sitting her table piled high with stacks of books and paper. She almost groaned.

The Beast was more of a hindrance than a help. He didn't know anything about word magic, nor anything about the curse that was cast upon him or the witch who'd cast it, other than the fact that he was pretty sure she was the Witch of the East Forest.

He sat on the table that morning, tapping his silver talons on the smooth wood. His appearance had stopped striking Levy with fear long ago; the silver scales and the scarlet eyes were menacing at first, but now she only flinched when he yelled at her. Which, now that she thought about it, wasn't often. He really only yelled at Natsu.

"Good morning," she sighed wearily, flopping into her customary chair.

Gajeel wasn't one for pleasantries. "You look like hell."

"I'm flattered, really," she bit back sarcastically. "What do you want, Gajeel? I have work to do. Work I'm doing for you, I might add."

"No, work you're doin' for your freedom," Gajeel corrected, but he seemed to regret the words as soon as he'd said them. Levy scowled as a retort, so he plowed on. "Look, I was thinkin'...you've been workin' pretty hard lately so...well, I don't want you gettin' sloppy or nothin'..."

Levy quirked an eyebrow, waiting patiently for him to finish.

"...anyway, I was thinkin'...you could take a break, if you wanted to. Today. Tonight. If you want to." Gajeel didn't look at her as he said this, giving Levy the implication that he wasn't experienced in doing kind deeds for anybody. She grimaced to herself. Did she really look so worse for wear that _the Beast _was taking pity on her?

"That'd be nice," Levy admitted. A good night's rest would be really nice. In fact, a nap right then wouldn't have been turned down.

Gajeel seemed to be encouraged by this remark. "Good, 'cause Lily's been naggin' me about cookin' a big meal for everybody, and since they got the ballroom all fixed..."

Levy blinked. Oh. When Gajeel offered her a break, she hadn't realized that it implied doing something with him and the rest of the guests. She paused and thought about it. That wouldn't be too bad, doing something with Natsu and Lucy and Happy and...

...and Pantherlily and Gajeel.

Their dark presence in her mind seemed like an imbalance in the equation. Levy couldn't invision them laughing along with the rest of them, chatting over a meal. It was...wrong.

She accepted anyway. Getting away from her work would probably be good for her, no matter the circumstances. Slowly it seemed like it was ensnaring her in a web, and soon she wouldn't be able to find her way out.

It was odd, even in her own perspective. Why was she so enraptured by this curse? What was the pressing urgency behind her finding a cure? Was it her eagerness to get home? To get away from the iron stronghold once and for all? Levy would be relieved when she was finally allowed to go free, but she didn't think that was all there was to it. She didn't know what was going on.

"Do you have novels in this library?"

Gajeel seemed taken back by the question, as though reading were the last thing he'd want to do on his day off. Which, if he were put in her situation, Levy guessed it probably was. "Yeah, there's a couple over there. Are you seriously going to read now that you don't got to?"

To prove her point, Levy got out of the chair and flounced over to the shelf Gajeel indicated, inspecting the array of fiction before deciding on an action/fantasy novel. She settled herself in a comfier chair that was near the sunlight streaming in from the windows and began to read.

Gajeel didn't seem inclined to leave. He flopped down in the chair next to her, fidgeting with an intricate metal piece thats function Levy couldn't even begin to guess. If she had to label it, she would bestow it with the title of "artwork," though she doubted that someone as practical as Gajeel would care for such trivial, superfluous matters.

She found out later what it was when Gajeel took a huge bite out of it, leaving her momentarily stunned. He caught her eye and stopped chewing. "What?" he asked.

"You! You just ate that...whatever that was!" Levy accused.

Gajeel glanced at it. "Yeah. It's iron. It's a snack. Dragonslayers eat whatever their element is. The Salamander's a Fire Dragonslayer, so he eats fire. I'm an Iron Dragonslayer, so it makes sense that I eat iron."

"I never knew that," Levy said in awe.

"You do now."

Silence lapsed over them again as Gajeel finished his snack and Levy went back to her book. It was a good read, and she was so into it that she was pretty sure Gajeel had to say her name a few times to get her attention, judging by the impatient lilt in his voice.

"What?"

"I asked what you're reading."

"Zaelon. He's one of my favorites." Levy paused and fingered the corner of the book. "I can...I can read it to you, if you want."

Gajeel snorted. "I ain't no little kid."

"Okay, your loss." She went back to the book. A few moments later, Gajeel gave an exasperated huff.

"Alright, go ahead."

Levy smiled as she flipped back to the first page.


	34. Stupid Gajeel

**XXXIV: Stupid Gajeel**

They spent the day reading. _Reading_, of all freaking things. You'd think that if he gave her a day off, she'd spend it differently than she'd been spending all of her days; that is, not cooped up in the library with a book. But no, she wanted a _novel_ to read. Apparently it was different, or something. Whatever.

Gajeel couldn't say he was complaining. Other than the fact that he was bored out of his mind. But he liked watching her there, reading, because it _was _different. She wasn't bent over a book, her eyes frantically skimming the page, her brows creased with worry. Levy was relaxed and at ease, enjoying a story. Relaxed and at ease. With him.

No one other than Pantherlily was able to tolerate his presence like that.

He generally inspired fear where ever he went. The blonde chick and the blue cat still reeked of it sometimes when he walked by. The Salamander was a different story, but you couldn't call any of their meetings "relaxed." Natsu may not have been afraid of Gajeel, but there was a vengeful kind of heat in his core that created a violent atmosphere when they collided. Gajeel wasn't sure if it was because they were both Dragonslayers and, being such, they were more in tune with their animal instincts - ones like the drive to protect their territory - or if it was simply because they both had so much pent-up energy. Either way, Gajeel couldn't escape Natsu's presence without a brawl. Not that he minded.

Gajeel liked just being able to sit with someone and relax. He didn't have a book to read, but that was _definitely_ okay with him. He watched her read, watched as the tense creases in her face melted away, watched the sunlight filter in through the window and cast a silver-blue halo around her head. She laid sideways in the chair so her feet dangled off of the side and her orange dress hiked up, revealing her slim thighs. Gajeel could probably wrap his whole hand around one, she was so tiny. But he didn't let his mind wander into _that _particular territory. It made him feel like a pervert.

In fact, he felt kind of creepy just staring at her right now. Was she so engrossed in her book that she didn't notice? Or was she trying to be polite and pretend not to, all the while thinking of how perverted he was? Gajeel swallowed in mortification as Levy shifted positions and her dress showed a scandalous amount of skin. Any more and...

"What're you reading?"

She didn't seem to hear him. Gajeel scowled. How could she be so oblivious? He asked the same question again, and once more. It wasn't until the fourth time and he was practically yelling did she hear him.

"What?"

"I asked what you're reading."

"Zaelon," she said, as if that explained anything. "He's one of my favorites." There was a pause as she considered something. "I can...I can read it to you, if you want."

Gajeel scoffed. Have her _read_ to him? He was perfectly capable of reading on his own, thank you, he just...didn't feel like it. "I ain't no little kid."

"Okay, your loss." And she went back to the book.

Gajeel resisted the temptation to growl. Hadn't she seen that he wanted her to stop reading and have a conversation with him? Preferably one where she sat like she was supposed to, and he could look at her without feeling like a perverted old man. And Lily thought that _he_ didn't have any people skills.

"Okay, go ahead."

The words seemed come out on their own accord, with no direction or permission from Gajeel. He was even a little shocked that he'd said them, but Levy just smiled and flipped back to the first page. She started to read aloud.

Levy's voice was like music. Gajeel soon found himself bewitched by the tale she was weaving, the way her voice moved up and down like the ocean's tides. He watched her lips form the words, and her brown eyes flit across the page, sometimes racing ahead. Eventually he became transfixed by the story itself, the sheer detail of the words that painted a moving picture in his mind. He convinced himself that Levy was the spark of life in the story, and that he wasn't becoming a dork who liked to read. Then he convinced himself that he was a dork who secretly enjoyed reading, that that he wasn't a sucker who liked Levy.

As time went by, her words became slurred and there were long pauses between sentences. Her head nodded up and down until, finally, her eyes fluttered close and she fell asleep. Gajeel grumbled and shook his head. Why the hell was she so tired?

That was easy to answer. She'd been working herself to the bone trying to figure out the cure to his stupid curse. Gajeel, despite himself, felt a twinge of guilt. He should let her have days off like this more. It wasn't super urgent that she find a cure for him, though he did want it done.

Then he realized: Levy wasn't doing it for him. She was in a hurry to get back to her old life, the one he'd been holding her back from. He looked at her slumbering form curled up in a ball on the chair, and felt...betrayed. Hurt. Though it was kind of his fault. He'd fooled himself into thinking that she actually might have cared about him.

Gajeel gritted his teeth and stood up. He'd been so stupid, just like her little stooges following her around everywhere without a clue. And Pantherlily; he'd encouraged it. This is exactly why he didn't break the curse this way.

_What way, Gajeel?_ he thought. _By love? Are you tellin' me that you're actually fallin' in love with this little blue pipsqueak?_

Not anymore. Because love worked both ways for it to be successful. Otherwise, it was just a painful waste of time.

And who could ever love a beast?


	35. Perfect Vision

_**Author's Note:** Okay. So a couple things that need to be addressed._

_1) I'm sorry, please don't hate me for the short chapters! I didn't realize just how lazy I'd been getting until I looked back at the earlier chapters and saw just how big of a difference there was. I promise that in the future I'll do my best to make the chapters longer._

_2) Which brings us here. I know this chapter is ridiculously short, which is the reason I updated twice today. Also, it's a good gift to make up for my laziness lately. I could have combined the chapters but...I don't know, it just didn't seem right. It didn't quite flow the way that I wanted it to. That, and I've written a couple chapters ahead and I'm too lazy to correct the roman numerals each time. -_-"_

_3) On a happier note, I want to thank all of the fantastic readers who keep up with this story! I can't believe we're already on chapter 35! There's still a lot more to go (honestly, I'm only like a fourth of the way through the entire plot I've got sketched out). Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, and favoriting! You guys are the best._

_So now that you've witnessed my rambling, I'll let you get back to the stuff you really came here for!_

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><p><strong>XXXV: Perfect Vision<strong>

Levy woke up a few hours later still curled up on the chair in the library. She sat up, stretching. She felt rested now, even though her back hurt from sleeping on the chair. And someone had covered her with a blanket...

Gajeel! She looked around. The Iron Dragonslayer was nowhere in sight. Levy's cheeks burned in mortification. She'd fallen asleep while she was reading to him; he probably thought that was so weird!

_Why do _you_ care what he thinks?_

Levy shook her head to clear it. Hadn't Gajeel said something about Pantherlily doing some kind of dinner? She stood and padded out of the library, hoping to find someone in the corridors of the iron castle.

The broad halls were empty, but as Levy looked around she saw that they were in the process of being beautifully restored. It must've been Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. Maybe Pantherlily, too. The metal was gleaming and shiny, no trace of bite marks anywhere. It was like walking down a tunnel of silver.

"Hello?" Levy called. She didn't hear anyone respond. A thought occurred to her: what if they'd already eaten and they all thought she'd bailed? What if everyone was mad at her?

But when she turned the corner, she heard voices. Pantherlily and Gajeel. They seemed to be arguing. She opened her mouth to make her presence known, so they hopefully wouldn't think she was eavesdropping or something; until she heard her name. Curiously, she shut her mouth and tuned in.

"You're not thinking right," Pantherlily was saying. "I don't even know how you came up with this ludicrous idea!"

"It ain't ludicrous!" Gajeel snapped back. "And nothing you say is gonna change my mind. I ain't showin' up at dinner, so you can tell them there."

"But why do you want them to leave all of a sudden? Don't you want Levy to break your curse?"

Gajeel's voice was dangerous. "Not in the way you mean. I hate her! I hate her guts, and I never want to see her face again!"

Levy sucked in a breath, hurt. Why would Gajeel say that? What did she do to make him hate her so much? Tears pricked her eyes. It was like something inside of her exploded, all of the stress and mixed feelings that she'd built up over the weeks. It was like a spring that had slowly been compressed, coiled up, and was now being released, breaking the dam that held back all of her sour emotions. Now they flooded through her veins all the way to the very tips of her fingers and toes. She wanted nothing more than to get out of there. Recklessly she turned and sprinted away, roughly wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. Gajeel wanted her gone? Then fine! She would leave right away!

The night air was cold on Levy's skin as she ran from the iron stronghold. Tomorrow Gajeel would send the others on their way, and he would rot in the godforsaken body he was cursed with. He would never be a true man again. He would be forever a beast.

_It certainly suits him. That witch knew what she was doing_.

Her feet moved of their own accord. Levy wasn't even sure where she was going. She only knew that she wanted to get away from the iron dwelling. The trees rushed past in a blur, the ground crunched beneath in harmony with the pounding of her feet. Her lungs burned, her heart thumped, but her legs still propelled her forward. Away from Gajeel. Away from everything.

Eventually she slowed down, panting, holding a stitch in her side. The forest was cold and dark around her. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Levy sat down and pulled her knees to her chest, discouraged now that the complex combination of betrayal, rage, and hurt feelings had subsided. A raindrop plopped down on her hand, heavy and icy cold. She looked up just as lightning flashed across the sky and the thunder rolled, unleashing an onslaught of rain. Within seconds she was soaked to the bone and curled into herself, shivering.

They always said hindsight is twenty-twenty. Now she realized that she didn't think this through very well.

Once the wind started to blow, Levy stood up. There was no other adequate source of shelter. She would have to go back to Gajeel's iron castle. The thought put a bitter taste in her mouth, but she knew better than to be proud to the point of endangering her health.

It hit her then.

She had no idea where she was.

Panic surged through Levy's chest. She had no clue which way she'd come, or how to get back. The trees all looked identical to her now, dark soldiers in the gloom. She was lost.

Lightning cracked through the sky. Levy saw the reflection of a pair of yellow eyes. Then another pair blinked into existence. Then another. Then another. She stumbled and pressed her back into a tree as the wolves began to circle.

In the courtyard garden, Gajeel's rose lost a single petal.


	36. Foot For Dinner

**XXXVI: Foot For Dinner**

"Where's Levy?"

Natsu addressed Gajeel with the kind of confrontational attitude that was per usual, oblivious to the already heated debate he and Pantherlily were having. Gajeel scowled, as the blunette was the direct cause of the argument in question. "How the hell should I know, Salamander?"

"Levy-chan isn't in her room or the library, and she didn't show up for dinner," Lucy said, glaring at Gajeel as if it were all his fault. "You were the last one who talked to her today. Where is she?"

"I told you, dammit, I don't know," Gajeel insisted. "I haven't seen her since I talked to her in the library and she fell asleep." A roll of thunder proceeded. He frowned. Something felt...wrong.

"What did you say to her?" Lucy said.

"Nothing! I just told her about dinner!"

"Then why wasn't she - ?"

"Uh, guys," Happy interrupted, his back to them. He turned around, holding out a bandanna. Levy's bandanna. "This was on the ground behind the corner."

Gajeel blanched. _Oh shit_, he thought. She was there. She'd heard him say that he hated her. That he never wanted to see her face again. He'd thought he'd heard something after that, but he never would've guessed that she was eavesdropping.

Pantherlily took the bandanna. "You don't think - ?"

But Gajeel was already tearing down the hall, following the faint trace of Levy's scent he just barely picked up. He had to hurry. It was getting ready to rain, and then her trail would be washed away. He wouldn't be able to find her.

The powerful gales set him off-balance when he came outside. He looked up at the sky and cursed at the majestic storm sailing their way. It was going to be a downpour in a matter of minutes. He had to find Levy.

Gajeel caught her scent. Though it was diluted by the wind, he knew it headed straight for the woods, which was the last place anyone would want to be alone in the midst of a thunderstorm. Particularly if they were short and scantily clothed.

He started in that direction, rampaging through the forest, knocking debris out of his way. The thunder rolled again and the sky opened up, pelting Gajeel with rain. His thoughts were an incoherent swirl of swearing as her scent started to disappear. He continued to go forward, hoping that she had done the same.

"Levy!" he shouted, though he doubted she would be able to hear him over the wailing of the wind. "Oi! Shorty! C'mon, where are you?"

He heard a dog's whine not too far away, and a girl's frightened shriek. Levy. It was Levy.

Gajeel screeched to a stop and took a sharp turn left, where the noises were coming from. As he got closer he could hear Levy scream and several canine snapping noises. Wolves dominated the East Forest. Levy was being attacked by wolves.

He saw her up in a tree, clinging to a branch for dear life. She was writing words on the tree with her solid script pen, but they were mostly fire-based attacks; they fizzled out in the rain, causing minimal damage to the wolves. Four of them snapped at her heels, slightly singed but still determined.

Gajeel sent out a kick, his foot morphing into a metal bar. It hit one she-wolf squarely in the chest, and he felt ribs crack. The others turned their attention to him, the alpha male growling dangerously. He was the biggest, a thick black beast with glaring yellow eyes. Gajeel grinned despite himself. "Bring it on, pup."

The wolf charged, but Gajeel was faster. He sent a metal bar into the wolf's midsection, then another to his back when he fell to the ground. The wolf saw that Gajeel was stronger and loped away with his tail between his legs, his pack pausing for a second before following. Evidently they realized that Gajeel wasn't the alpha now since he wasn't of the same species.

He let out a loud roar, invigorated by the brief battle.

"Um...G-Gajeel? I could use a little help here..."

Levy dangled her feet uncertainly from the tree limb. Gajeel had to admit, she was up pretty high. He could help her if he wanted to, but he decided that she deserved a good chewing-out before that happened.

"Yeah, you do need help! What the hell were you thinking, runnin' out here by yourself? Do you know how worried" - he stumbled over his words for a moment, not wanting to admit that yeah, he'd been a little bit worried - "how worried Lily's been? And I had to come all the way out here to get you! Now I'm wet, and I'll probably catch a freakin' cold!"

"Well, _sorry_ for inconveniencing you!" Levy snapped back, suddenly on the defensive. "If you hate me so much, why don't you just let the wolves eat me next time?"

That caught Gajeel off guard. He sputtered, then said something that he immediately knew he was going to regret. "Yeah, maybe I will!"

Levy reeled as if he'd just punched her. She lost her grip on the tree and screamed as she fell back. Gajeel shot forward and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. But he'd overshot, and they landed in a tangled heap at the foot of the tree. Levy squirmed under his heavy body, frustrated that she couldn't storm away. Finally she sighed and gave up, her bottom lip coming out in a slight pout. "Do you really hate me that much?"

Gajeel sighed, but it sounded more like a growl. "Nah, I don't hate you."

"Then why did you say that you did?"

"I ain't good with people, okay? I just...I dunno. I don't hate you, though. I promise." Gajeel quickly untangled himself and sat up, rubbing his neck. The rough scales under his talons only reminded him of what he was, so he put his hand back down. "Look, why don't we head back to the castle? It's still raining freakin' cats and dogs out here, and I'm gonna be seriously pissed if I get sick 'cause I had to come out here and save your ass."

"Okay." Levy stood up, brushing mud off of her dress. "Gajeel, I do have another question, though. Are you still going to kick us all out?"

"Hell no!" Gajeel said immediately. "You still gotta break my curse, and the Salamander and his buddies still gotta finish fixin' up my house. You guys ain't goin' anywhere!"

Levy just smiled to herself and said "okay" again, but Gajeel couldn't help but notice the slight dust of pink over her cheeks, or how she described her release as being 'kicked out.' Had she forgotten that she was technically a prisoner? A hostage under his command?

"Gajeel?"

"Hn?"

"Thanks."

Yeah. Gajeel thought that maybe she had.


	37. Wasn't There Before

_**Author's Note**: Fillerish, but a little bit longer and a little bit more Lucy and Natsu. I know I've kind of neglected them in favor of Levy and Gajeel, but they'll slowly start creeping back into the limelight of the story._

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><p><strong>XXXVII: Wasn't There Before<strong>

Lucy was so relieved that Levy was okay, she started to cry when she caught sight of her. Natsu thought that she was being a bit dramatic, but he supposed that was just Lucy's nature. He was happy Levy was okay too, though she was soaking wet and looked like she'd rolled around in the mud.

That night she didn't stay up in the library. She got a shower and went right to bed. Lucy said that she looked better rested, despite her fright for the day. Natsu had to agree. Even he'd begun to grow concerned for Levy's health over the past couple days, as he watched the purple shadows under her eyes grow darker and her shoulders more slumped. It was as if some invisible opponent was slowly defeating her in battle. He wondered if that opponent was the curse, or if it was homesickness.

The storm carried on into the next day. Natsu had never liked the rain, and he found the constant din of raindrops on the metal roof annoying. It made a for a snappish Fire Dragonslayer.

When he went to get breakfast that morning, he was surprised to see that there were two new additions to the usual quartet made up of him, Lucy, Happy, and Pantherlily. Gajeel and Levy sat at the table, poking awkwardly at their plates while Lucy chatted animatedly with the latter. She was probably so excited to have her friend back that she didn't notice the tense atmosphere around the table.

Natsu plopped into his seat on her other side, shooting Happy a raised-eyebrow look. The blue cat shrugged and munched on some fish, his eyes darting nervously from Gajeel to Levy and back. Gajeel nudged at his plate. His eyes flickered up at Levy. Levy, as if feeling this gaze on her face, tore her self away from her one-sided conversation with Lucy and gave him a small smile. Pantherlily looked approving.

Natsu pursed his lips and glanced at Lucy, who was utterly oblivious of the entire exchange. _What the hell's going on? _he thought to himself, taking a large bite of pancake. Wasn't he usually the last one to pick up on these kinds of things? Or was he just imagining it?

As the day went on, he noticed other things. Pantherlily was in an exceedingly good mood, jovially ordering them to clean this and polish that, never burdening them with hard work. He heard Levy's voice when he passed the library, and peeked in to see her reading a book aloud to Gajeel, her previous work abandoned at the table. Later he caught them walking down the corridors, deep in conversation.

What was going on?

Lucy was the self-proclaimed expert on what she called 'social economics,' so Natsu decided to ask her. She laughed when he did. "It's obvious, Natsu," she giggled. "Levy-chan and Gajeel are falling in love."

"Huh?"

"You know. Love."

"I _know_ what love means, Lucy," Natsu said, exasperated. "I'm saying 'huh?' because it doesn't seem like Levy and that guy would get along that well. He beat her up and he's keeping us all here against our will."

"Not really," Lucy said. "I think that if we wanted to leave, we probably could. There just isn't any reason to right now, because we'd be breaking a deal. Levy's forgiven Gajeel about before, anyway; he _did _save her life. Pantherlily's been trying to get them together for a while now. It's about time they got a move on."

"But why?"

"One, because if Gajeel falls in love and that girl loves him back, the curse will be broken. I don't think Pantherlily believes that there's another loophole, no matter how good Levy is. You saw how she was beating herself up over it," Lucy explained. "And two, they would make the most adorable couple ever!"

"But I thought you didn't like Gajeel?"

"I changed my mind," Lucy said, pursing her lips.

Natsu sighed. "You're such a weirdo, Lucy."

"I am not!"

Natsu watched Levy and Gajeel for the next few days, and now he was definitely sure that something was different. But they didn't look like any sort of couple to him. Whenever he saw two people in love, they were always holding hands and kissing and stuff. Levy and Gajeel didn't do any of that. When they went on walks there was no physical contact whatsoever.

"Well, they're not just going to do all that right away," Lucy said when Natsu asked again. "They might never do all that mushy stuff. They don't seem like that kind of couple to me."

Levy and Gajeel didn't do much but walk around the castle or hole themselves up in the library. Levy would alternate between working on the curse and reading the novel that Gajeel was now completely invested in. When the Iron Dragonslayer wasn't with the blue bookworm, he was out in the courtyard garden staring at the red rose. Natsu wondered what was up with that flower, but he knew Lucy wouldn't know the answer to that particular question, so he didn't ask.

Sometimes Levy helped them with their repairs on the castle. It was almost done, and Natsu had to admit he was pretty proud of the work. He was an expert at destroying things, so when he actually helped make something whole again it was kind of a big deal for him. Lucy smiled and laughed at his enthusiasm, agreeing with his testament.

One day, Pantherlily finally announced that the castle was all fixed up. "There aren't any other repairs to be made. Good job, everybody."

Natsu felt a swelling sense of relief and pride. Levy said that she thought the castle was beautiful. Gajeel crossly muttered something about "If Metallicana were here..." Natsu knew how he felt, in a way. Dragons had a tendency of hoarding, and this clear, open space in the cavernous iron stronghold was probably in direct contrast of the piles of riches that the Iron Dragon had kept to fill the emptiness. There was a finality about the repairs that said that maybe, just maybe, they would stay like that forever.

Natsu hoped not. For his sake and Gajeel's.

But Levy was transfixed by the remarkable improvement the repairs on the castle made, and Gajeel forgot all about Metallicana's would-be opinion of the place.

"It needs a name," Lucy said, looking around.

"Why even bother?" Gajeel snorted. "It's not like I get a lot of visitors."

"No, but every castle needs a name."

Levy pondered it for a second. "I think we should name it...Iron Rose."

"Why that?" Pantherlily inquired.

"Yeah, it's freakin' girly."

"Because it's made of iron, obviously, and it's beautiful, like a rose. Also, there's that rosebush in the courtyard. I think it would be appropriate, don't you?"

No one, not even Gajeel, could argue with her logic after that. And so, the Beast's iron stronghold was officially dubbed Iron Rose Castle.

They had dinner together again that night. Things were a lot more relaxed now that the others had adapted to Gajeel and Levy's presence; and it wasn't just because of the influence of alcohol. Natsu was pretty sure that Gajeel had broken out a guitar and was singing by the time the meal was over, but he wasn't entirely sure. He might've been dancing with Happy and then a mop, but that could've been a figment of his imagination too.

Eventually, through the combined efforts of Lucy and Happy, he managed to separate with the mop and stumble upstairs to his room. Apparently it wasn't, though, because the next morning he would wake up next to Lucy, not knowing how on earth he'd ended up in her bed.


	38. Storm On The Horizon

_**Author's Note:** Please don't hate me for the piteously short chapter! I promise that they'll get longer! Pinkie promise! TT^TT_

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><p><strong>XXXVIII: Storm On The Horizon<strong>

Jet and Droy sat sullenly in Shadow Gear Books & Such, staring morbidly at the sheets of rain coming down from the sky. That day marked two weeks since they had last seen or heard from Levy.

They felt like such cowards, fleeing from the Beast's iron stronghold while Levy stayed. They begged the Rune Knights to rescue her, but their reaction to their testimony was as much the same as last time: blatant disbelief and ridicule. They refused to "waste their resources" on what they thought to be a fairy tale, but what Jet and Droy knew to be real.

As much as the image of Levy being held captive by the Beast tormented them, they knew they were no match for Gajeel Redfox.

"What are we going to do?" Droy whispered once more, hiding his face in his hands. "We can't leave her there. We have to save her, somehow."

"I _know_," Jet said for the millionth time. "But what are we supposed to do? We'd just be making things worse if we go down there by ourselves." He abruptly stood up and started pacing the room, feeling more and more like a caged animal. "We need someone stronger to help us, Droy. We're too weak to protect her."

"Who? No one believes us, and only a desperate person would march into the East Forest with the money reward we've managed to scrape up," Droy pointed out.

"What if we sold the shop?"

"No one's going to take the shop," Droy scoffed. "Besides, what would we do for money once we got Levy back?"

"It doesn't matter. All that's important is that we get her back," Jet said fiercely.

The bell above the door interrupted their debate, drawing their attention to the looming figure stepping into the bookstore. He was broad and tall, his face covered with a hood and his cape dripping with rain.

"We're closed," Jet said coldly.

The man removed his hood, revealing a shock of blonde hair and a chiseled face marred by a long scar. He glared at them for a moment, taking in the clutter of junk in the shop and its owners' sorry appearances.

"I'm just looking for a job," he said finally. "One that pays decently. And you guys look like you could use some help around here."

Jet and Droy exchanged a glance. This guy looked pretty strong, but they knew looks could be deceiving. "What's your name?" Jet inquired.

"Salux. Salux Reyard."

Jet fiddled with the rim of his hat, looking nervous. "How would you like to make a thousand jewels?"

"Jet, what are you doing?" Droy hissed.

"We need someone strong and desperate to save Levy, and this guy is perfect," Jet replied, jerking a thumb at Salux.

"I've got ears, you know."

"Sorry," Jet apologized. "Look, have you ever head of the Beast that lives in the East Forest?"

"Yeah, I used to hear stories about him all the time," Salux replied, crossing his arms and looking skeptical. "So what? He's just a myth."

"No, he's not," Jet said. "Our friend Levy was taken by him. We're not strong enough to get her back, so we need you to do it for us."

Salux rubbed his chin, scratching the translucent blonde stubble that was beginning to sprout. "I guess I can do that for a thousand jewels," he decided. "All I have to do is find the Beast's cave and bring your girl back, right?"

"Well, it's not a cave, exactly," Droy said. "It's a castle made completely of iron. The Beast, he's actually an Iron Dragonslayer who was cursed by the Witch of the East Forest after his dragon left. The story wasn't completely accurate."

"How do you guys know all this?" Salux asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He told us. Levy made a deal with him and he let us go. We told her we'd come back for her." Jet gave Salux an intense look. "That means you have to get her on our behalf, no matter what. Stop at nothing."

Salux held up his hands. "Alright, alright, I'll get your girl for you. It shouldn't be too hard for me to find a big metal structure. I'll whoop his ass and be back within three days, probably."

"Don't underestimate him," Droy warned.

Salux waved a dismissal hand as he turned and pulled up his hood, preparing to dart back out into the subsiding rain.

"Wait!" Jet said again.

"What now?" Salux growled.

"We're coming with you."

The blonde man snorted. "No way. I work alone."

"We're not giving you the job if you don't take us with you," Droy threatened. "We'll find somebody else."

"You're bluffing," Salux accused. "You wouldn't be offering me the job if everybody in Hosenka hadn't already turned you down."

"We'll go to Magnolia," Jet challenged. "Surely there's someone there who'll help us."

Salux narrowed his eyes. He did know of one powerful mage in Magnolia, one with a bleeding heart who would help anyone in trouble, no matter how ridiculous the situation. He sneered. "A cheap shot, but well played. Hurry up and pack your stuff. As soon as the rain stops, we'll go after your girl and kill the Beast."


	39. Familiar Faces

**XXXIX: Familiar Faces**

Levy's eyes flew over the words of the ancient book rapidly, her hand scrawling notes so fast that it was almost intelligible. Lucy sat rim-rod straight beside her, not bothering to concentrate on the novel in front of her. She'd been irritable all morning, as she'd woken up to Natsu sleeping beside her. Levy persuaded the blonde to join her for breakfast in the library rather than the dining hall with Natsu, for fear that she would try to kill him again. He would have died by pillow, had Levy not been there to put a stop to it.

It seemed that the incident sparked a bit of good luck for Levy, though, because after all this time she'd finally found a trail, a thread that she could pull to unravel the whole curse. Lucy peered over her shoulder curiously and almost immediately went back to her sulking pose. Whatever Levy was studying was way out of her league.

Levy set down her pencil, stretching her cramped hand. Idly she wondered what would happen once she discovered the cure, but it seemed like a stupid question: obviously Gajeel would revert back to his human form, whatever that was, and have his full strength again. Though Levy did think he was probably the most powerful out of all of them already, except for Natsu. And maybe Pantherlily. She had no idea what Lucy's magic was, or if she was even a mage; it seemed weird to ask, anyway. Though she had noticed that Plue was nowhere to be found since that day he brought Shadow Gear to Iron Rose Castle. Perhaps he was part of her magic.

Levy wondered what Gajeel would look like as a human, suddenly. He certainly wouldn't be handsome like Natsu, in a boyish, carefree way. He seemed more like a rough-around-the-edges, tsundere type. Levy sighed and rolled her eyes. He certainly was grumpy sometimes.

She also pondered the fact that she was going home soon, now that she had a lead. To Hosenka Town, to Shadow Gear Books & Such, to Jet and Droy. It gave her a strange feeling in her stomach. It felt...wrong. It was almost like the word 'home' didn't describe her life in Hosenka now. When Levy thought the word 'home,' she thought of Iron Rose Castle.

She thought of Gajeel.

Lucy felt Levy's forehead. "You okay, Levy-chan? You look like you have a fever."

"It's nothing, nothing, don't worry about it," Levy sputtered, picking up her pencil and burying herself back into her notes.

"Don't overwork yourself again."

A few minutes passed in silence, with Levy's pencil growing more and more frantic on the paper, her motions more jerky and excited. A triumphant grin slowly spread on her face, and she was halfway out of her seat before she even stopped writing. Finally she threw her pencil down and raised the notebook in the air, jumping up and down with joy. "I did it, I did it! I figured out the curse!"

"No way!" Lucy shrieked. "How?"

"Well, I just took the old verses from the ancient chants of the Fioran witch tribes that lived here, then I cross-referenced them and - "

Lucy held up a hand. "Never mind."

Suddenly the floor trembled underneath them, and the walls of the castle shook. The girls glanced at each other, reassuring themselves they weren't the only ones who felt that. "Do you think Gajeel and Natsu are fighting again?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. It seems a little more...intense than that."

The doors to the library burst open and two figures marched in, windswept and frantic. They settled their eyes on Levy and broke into a run, tackling her. "LEVY!"

"Jet? Droy? What are you two doing here?"

They weren't listening. "Are you okay? What did he do to you?"

"Nothing, he - "

"We're getting you out of here right now," Jet said, grabbing her wrist and dragging her out of the library. "You too, Lucy, let's go. Where's Natsu and Happy? We'll get them out of here too."

"What are you talking about? Jet, let me go!" Levy struggled, dropping her notebook in the process. She squealed when Droy accidentally stepped on it, crumpling the pages and staining her diligent work with mud.

"Let her go! You guys, this was just a big misunderstanding!" Lucy cried, resisting Droy as he urged her out of the chair.

"Misunderstanding? He kidnapped you, Lucy! He held you prisoner, and he's keeping you and Levy here as his slaves!" Droy said. "How is that a misunderstanding?"

Lucy opened her mouth to answer, but the castle was wracked by another bone-shaking explosion. Droy grabbed her and dragged her out of her chair, pushing her toward the door. "Come on, we've got to get out of here before this whole castle explodes!"

"Explode? Jet, Droy, what's going on?" Levy cried, but she was barely heard over the grumble of thunder and the proceeding pitter-patter of rain. Jet steered her out of the library and down the hall so fast that she had to jog to keep up with his naturally hasty stride.

"We didn't come here alone to rescue you," he answered. "We brought back-up. He's a powerful mage. He's fighting the Beast right now. With any luck, he'll make him pay."

"What?" Levy shrieked. She struggled to get away. "No, you two don't understand! Gajeel's not a bad guy, he's just - he's not a people person!"

"It's true! Tell your guy to hold off!" Lucy put in.

Jet grabbed Levy's shoulders and narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. "He must of brainwashed you or something. That's the only explanation."

Levy and Lucy gaped at him, speechless. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Levy finally managed to get out.

"No, the most ridiculous thing is that you actually believe that gross Beast is a good guy! He's not, Levy, he's evil and cruel and you know it!" Droy yelled.

"He's not!" Levy objected. "You don't even know him!"

The scream of contorting metal abused their ears and another explosion pitched them forward. Jet growled in frustration and tossed Levy over his shoulder, speeding down the hall. "We don't have time for this! Droy, let's go!"

"Jet! Put me down right now!" Levy ordered, banging on his back with her tiny fists. She could hear Lucy complaining down the hall, probably not wanting to resort to violence. Levy didn't want to either. Jet and Droy were her best friends. She didn't want to hurt them. She didn't even know if she was capable of hurting them.

It felt like a hurricane outside. The wind shrieked and propelled the raindrops like icy bullets, drenching them within seconds. Levy couldn't see anything between the rivulets of water dripping into her eyes and the thick sheets of rain falling from the sky. Lightning clawed its way out from the clouds, stretching across the sky in venous webs, accompanied by thunder that made Levy's teeth chatter. The trees danced with the wind, perilously swaying to and fro while the doldrums stripped them of their branches and leaves.

It was utterly terrifying.

"Jet!" Levy cried, but her voice was carried away by the wind. "Jet! Let me down! Please, let me down!" If he heard her, he didn't show it.

Lightning struck the castle like a spear, the force of the thunder afterward knocking them into the mud. Levy twisted her way from under Jet's body and scrambled away, sprinting toward the castle. But he was faster and tried to drag her into the forest, out of harms way. Levy struggled with all her might, not particularly caring if he was hurt at the moment. She knew precisely where the lightning had struck: the courtyard of the castle where Gajeel's rosebush thrived.

Jet picked her up even as she fought with all of her strength. Tears of frustration at her own weakness pricked her eyes. She kicked and scratched, but Jet refused to release his hold. "Gajeel!" she screamed out of fear, over and over again. Fear of the storm, fear of her life, fear of his life. "Gajeel! Gajeel!"

In the distance, she heard the roar of a beast.


	40. Arms Of A Hurricane

_**Author's Note:** Chapter 40! Woot! Well, let's face it, the only reason there are so many chapters is because the chapters are so short; for which I am sorry, my poor readers. I hope to make the chapters significantly longer in the future. The chapters always seem so long when I write them, and then I find out they're like 900 words and I'm like FAIL!_

* * *

><p><strong>XL: Arms Of A Hurricane<strong>

Natsu, Happy, and Pantherlily burst from the castle and right into the arms of a hurricane. Natsu squinted his eyes against the rain and the wind, trying to make out the figures in the distance. He saw two, and one was blonde. That was enough for him.

"C'mon, I see Lucy!" he said, charging forward. Pantherlily evolved into his larger form and unsheathed Buster Marm, his legendary sword. He shot past Natsu in a burst of speed, his wings unfolding from his back. By the time Natsu and Happy caught up with him, he had Droy pinned to the ground and Lucy was scraping mud out of her mouth.

"I thought you said you saw Laxus!" Natsu accused, turning to Happy.

"We did! He was out here, I swear!" Happy yelled back. "Lily and I saw him out the window!"

"Laxus is here too?" Lucy shouted at Droy. "That's the back-up you brought?"

"No! He said his name was Salux!" Droy explained.

"Where's Levy?" Pantherlily inquired.

"Jet took her. They ran too fast, we couldn't catch up."

"I'll go after them," Natsu said, scanning the area. "Lily, you and the others go back inside and try to find Gajeel and warn him. That's most likely who Laxus is after."

He sprinted away, toward the two dim figures at the edge of the treeline. He heard footsteps behind him and saw Lucy racing after him. "What are you doing? You have to go warn Gajeel!" he snapped.

"The others can do that! Levy's my friend too, and I'm going to help you help her!"

Natsu zoned in on Jet and propelled himself forward, tackling him at full speed since his fire attacks would be no good out in this weather. The three of them hit the ground with a rough thunk. Lucy stopped and doubled over, clutching a stitch in her side.

"Bastard! What are you doing?" Natsu growled, wrestling with Jet.

"I'm trying to get Levy out of here alive! What are _you_ doing?"

"You idiot!" Natsu shouted. "Levy wasn't in any danger! You're the one who brought Laxus here!"

Jet gave him a blank look. "What are you talking about?"

Lucy straightened up, catching her breath. She saw a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye. She gasped. "Levy!"

Natsu and Jet looked up as the blonde started running after her friend, toward the courtyard where the lightning had struck just moments before. They scurried out of the mud and rushed after the girls, saving their argument for later.

Levy hit the outside entrance to the courtyard at full speed, throwing herself onto the metal bars. She fumbled with the lock and managed to throw the gate open, barging into the spacious courtyard and into the scene beyond.

Laxus Dreyar stood on the remains of the shriveled rosebush, once a thing of beauty and life in the center of a field of decay. The red petals scattered across the ground like small puddles of blood around his feet. A halo of electricity cast an angelic glow around him, in such contrast with the dark, crumpled mass at his feet. Levy covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a sob. It almost looked like Gajeel had died protecting the rosebush.

No. He couldn't be dead. Not Gajeel. He was strong. He wasn't weak like she was. But what she saw told her differently, no matter how her mind denied it. Gajeel was dead. Laxus had killed him.

Laxus nudged the body with the toe of his boot. "Come on, is that all you got? I was expecting more from the Beast I heard so much about."

"Don't touch him!"

The Lightning Dragonslayer slowly looked over his shoulder. His eyes flickered with the light of recognition, and he scowled. "You," he spat, spinning on his heel and pointing at her. "You're the chick from Magnolia. You're the one who ruined everything and got me banished!"

"No, you got yourself banished!" Levy cried.

Laxus wasn't listening. "I didn't realize that you were the chick the two weaklings wanted me to find..." He trailed off and grinned at her, but it was a sadistic smile that sent shivers down her spine. He raised his palm at her. "Who cares about the reward now?"

Levy barely had time to blink before she saw a flash of lightning spiraling through the air, aiming right for her heart.

And then, suddenly, Gajeel was standing in front of her, his metal arm raised to absorb the attack. Levy gaped at him in bewilderment, no amount of words able to express the relief she felt. He was broken, bleeding, and bruised, but he was still alive. That was all that mattered.

He straightened up and rolled his shoulders, glancing at minutely at Levy to see if she was unharmed. Almost unnoticeably he tilted his head to the left. Telling her to get out of the way. She did, shrinking into the side of the building.

Gajeel turned back to Laxus, who was as astounded as Levy, and grinned in his usual aggressive manner.

"You want a fight, sparky? You got one."


	41. Broken

**XLI: Broken**

Gajeel braced himself for Laxus's next attack, but none came. The Lightning Dragonslayer focused over his shoulder, glaring past Levy and outside the boundaries of the courtyard. Gajeel resisted the temptation to turn around and see what he was scowling at. He knew it was stupid to take his eyes off of an opponent.

"LAXUS, YOU BASTARD!"

He should've known.

Natsu, Lucy, and the stooge with the hat all poured into the battlefield, looking furious. Without hesitation, Natsu ignited his hands, but the hatted stooge tried for diplomacy before all else. He gave Laxus what Gajeel supposed must have been his "stern" look. "Laxus, you lied to us," he said. "And your mission is over. We'll pay you and all, but there's no need for you to continue fighting."

"I don't care about the money anymore, idiot," Laxus sneered. "This is personal. Because of those three" - he pointed to Natsu, Lucy, and Levy in turn - "I'm a fugitive instead of a king. I'm going to make them pay, big time."

"You have to beat us first," Gajeel pointed out.

"Like that's ever gonna happen," Natsu snorted.

Lucy retrieved Cancer, probably her strongest battle key. He wasn't much compared to Natsu and Gajeel, but at least she would be doing _something_. Levy wiggled her way into line as well, her solid script pen in hand.

Laxus measured them up, then shook his head. "This is pathetic. I'm not sure you're even worth fighting."

"You'll regret saying that, bastard!" Natsu roared, leaping forward. Laxus shot out a hand and a bolt of lightning hit Natsu on the spot. He fell to the ground, singed.

Laxus flew back as a long metal rod hit him in the chest. Gajeel took in a deep breath as Natsu struggled to get up. "Salamander, duck," he said. Then: "_Iron Dragon Roar!_"

Natsu flattened himself on the ground as the metal whirlwind blew past him, aimed straight for Laxus. The Lightning Dragonslayer shielded himself from the hit, but it still slammed him against the gate.

Levy was ready. She wrote the word "_Rope!_" with her solid script pen. Long coils of rope formed the word in the air. Jet grabbed them and sped over to Laxus, binding him to the gate before he could recover from Gajeel's attack.

He screamed as lightning shot from the ground, enveloping both him and Laxus. "Jet!" Levy screamed, rushing foward as the lightning subsided and her friend crumpled to the ground. The rope fell slack against the frame of the gate. Laxus was gone.

"Coward," Natsu hissed, shaking his head. "We'll get him next time."

"Are you alright, Gajeel?" Lucy asked tentatively. The Iron Dragonslayer gave her a look that made her reel back in fear.

"Am I alright? Why the hell wouldn't I be alright, Blondie? You think I had a problem kickin' Sparky's ass? Huh?"

"N-no, I - "

"That's sure what it sounded like!"

"Don't yell at Lu-chan, Gajeel," Levy chastised, supporting Jet as they walked over. "She's only being nice and worrying about you."

"Well, I don't need to be worried about," Gajeel muttered, crossing his arms. "I could've taken him if he hadn't run away. Damn pansy."

Levy rolled her eyes. "Natsu, would you mind taking Jet to Lily and seeing if he can do anything to help his burns?"

"Sure," Natsu said, draping Jet's arm around his shoulders. Lucy followed him, shooting Levy a sly wink on her way out.

Gajeel meandered over to the center of the courtyard, where the remains of the rosebush were scattered. He kicked at the petals, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Levy drifted over and gingerly picked up a branch. "I'm sorry he destroyed the rosebush. It was so pretty."

"Yeah," Gajeel agreed hoarsely. "It was the only thing that survived after Metalicana left. I'm not exactly the best gardener, you know. Lily tried to plant some things, but...this is the only thing that actually survived. Was weird though, 'cause it only gave one rose at a time. It was the only nice-lookin' thing about this place, 'til - " He cut off and ducked his head, a river of red slowly creeping up his neck. Levy blushed too, her own mind finishing up his sentence.

She held up the branch. On it was a single rose bud, a new beginning to an old cycle. "Well, we can always plant another. I think we should do the whole courtyard with roses. Wouldn't that be so beautiful?"

"I guess," Gajeel muttered.

"You know, you're kind of like a rose," Levy said, caressing the soft petals of the rose bud with her forefinger. "You're all thorny, but there's also something beautiful about you."

Gajeel's face was seven shades of red by this point. "Y-yeah, well, don't go tellin' everybody that. They'll get the wrong idea."

"What's that?"

"Th-that you, ah, you actually like me - I mean, not _like_ like me, but they'll think that you're friends with me or somethin'."

Levy frowned. "I thought we _were_ friends."

"Nope, we're not."

"Why not?" Levy demanded angrily.

"Just 'cause."

"Because why?"

"_Because_," Gajeel snarled, "after you get all your fancy research done, you're gonna go away and never come back. Friends don't do that, so you're not my friend, are you? My only friend is Lily."

Levy blinked. "Gajeel. I'm not going to leave and never come back."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm not." Levy stepped in front of him when he tried to brush past her. "I'm not like Metalicana. I'm not going away and leaving you alone, ever. I promise."

"You can't promise something like that," Gajeel growled. "It's a lie. Besides, I'm keeping you here against your will and everything, so - "

"Oh, please!" Levy interrupted, waving her arms in exasperation. "If I wanted to leave, we both know that you would let me. And who said I ever wanted to leave? Who said I was going to after I broke your curse?"

"That was the deal!"

"The deal was that I _could _leave," Levy pointed out. "Not that I _had_ to. I don't want to leave anymore! I love it here! I love the castle, I love the library, I love Lily, and I love - " This time she cut off and went crimson, covering her mouth with her two tiny hands to stop the flow of words.

Gajeel's stomach did a flip. He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "What about your stooges? And the Salamander and Blondie?"

"Jet and Droy are perfectly capable of surviving without me. They'll respect my decision, and I'll still visit them in Hosenka," Levy said. "Natsu and Lucy were just visiting. They were on their way to Clover." She took a step foward and put her hands on his solid chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. Her heart did the same dance, frantically leaping around in her chest like a caged animal. "I want to stay here. With you."

"But what about this?" Gajeel asked, lifting an arm glittering with silver scales, flexing his lethal talons. "What if you can't ever find the cure?"

Levy smiled. "There's more than one way to break a curse."

And she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

The effect was immediate. Gajeel started to radiate a pale glow, and skin cropped out from the ridges of his scales, covering them with the thin membrane. His fingers became rounded and fleshy, his hair became just a little more tame. When Levy pulled back and opened her eyes, she was looking at a man with scarlet eyes and round metal studs for eyebrows and a porcupine of black hair. She smiled and let out a relieved breath. It was still Gajeel, not some airbrushed, princely stranger.

He examined his arms and touched his face, then quirked an eyebrow at Levy. "Well? Am I sexy or what?"

Levy laughed. "Definitely. The sexiest man alive."

"I wouldn't go that far, but the improvement is remarkable." Pantherlily stepped into the courtyard, flanked by a grinning Happy.

"Maybe you can kiss me and see what happens?" Happy asked hopefully.

Gajeel hugged Levy to his new human body. "Back off, cat. She's mine."

Their laughter surfed on the wind to the windows above, where Lucy, Natsu, and Droy lingered and watched the scene unfold. Lucy chuckled and turned to Droy. "So what do you think about all this, Droy? Are you willing to let her go?"

The plant mage sighed. "I guess, if she's happy. Jet and I will miss her, though. A lot."

"Don't worry, Gajeel'll take care of her," Natsu assured, pushing himself away from the window and stretching. "If not, Lily said he'd whip him into shape."

"That makes me feel a little better," Droy replied with a half-hearted laugh. Then he heaved a wistful sigh. "I'll go check and see if Jet's up yet. I don't think we'll be leaving any time soon, with the condition he's in."

As Droy shuffled away, Natsu turned to Lucy and grinned. "You know what this means, right? We get to leave!"

"I didn't think you'd be super excited about that," Lucy said, blinking in surprise.

"What? Why not?"

"Because you've been stalling our getting to Acylpha for as long as possible. I didn't think you wanted me to get there."

Natsu shrugged. "I didn't, but I think that if Jet and Droy can let Levy go in order for her to be happy then I can do the same thing with you, if that's what it takes."

Lucy smiled and wrapped her arms around Natsu's waist, giving him a quick hug. "Thanks, Natsu."

"Besides," Natsu continued, "Happy and I agreed that Angry Lucy or Sad Lucy would be a living hell, and that we wouldn't want you with us if you didn't want to be there anyway."

"You jerk! And here I was, thinking you were all deep and sensitive!"

"What are you talking about? You're such a weirdo, Lucy."

"I'm not a weirdo!"

The group below gazed up at the windows, where they could see the shapes of Lucy and Natsu blinking in and out of existance as they argued down the corridor. Levy smiled, shaking her head. "They're crazy."

Everyone could only say "aye."


	42. Lost, Again

_**Author's Note:** So Beauty and the Beast is over, and now we're onto the next fairy tale. Can anyone guess from this awful filler chapter? If not, you'll definitely guess next time. Until then...please enjoy the awful filler that I deeply apologize for._

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><p><strong>XLII: Lost, Again<strong>

Lucy felt like hitting something.

She, Natsu, and Happy had left Iron Rose Castle early that morning to continue their trek to Clover Town. If not for their little adventure with Gajeel they'd already be in Acylpha, Lucy reasoned, but she didn't let it get to her. Truthfully, she was rather nervous about seeing her father.

As they began walking, waving goodbye to Gajeel, Levy, Pantherlily, Jet, and Droy - who were staying until their injuries healed - Natsu remarked that they should be in Clover by evening. Lucy had just happy that she wouldn't have to sleep out in the forest again, considering last time they'd almost been killed by wolves.

Well, the sun was sinking into the horizon and they were standing by the pond they'd passed three hours ago. Lucy recognized it because she'd almost slipped and fell after Happy pushed her. She could still see the marks on the bank where she'd tried to strangle him for getting her covered in mud.

"Natsu!" she growled when they came upon the familiar landmark.

"Don't look at me! I was following Happy!"

"What?" Happy shrieked. "I don't know where we're going, I was following Lucy!"

Lucy gaped. "What makes you think that I know where Clover is? I've never been there, stupid cat!"

"Neither have I!"

"Wait," Natsu interrupted, "are you guys saying that we've been mindlessly wandering the East Forest all day and that none of us actually know how to get to Clover?"

"Apparently, that seems to be the case!" Lucy exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes dangerously at the Fire Dragonslayer, who blanched in response. "I thought you said you knew how to get there from Hosenka?"

"I do," Natsu concurred.

"Evidently, you don't!"

"We didn't come from Hosenka! We came from a castle that nobody even knows exists!" Natsu yelled back. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it's a pretty big forest!"

Lucy reeled in anger, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyelids. He did make a good point. "Okay, then. How do we get out of here?"

"I guess we go back to Gajeel's and get a map or something," Happy suggested.

Natsu shook his head vigorously. "No way! I'm not gonna let that bastard know I got lost! He'll never let me live it down! No, we'll find our own way."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Lucy hissed.

"I dunno," Natsu admitted. "But look, it's too late to do any traveling tonight anyway. Let's just camp out and I'll think of something tomorrow."

"You better, or else we're riding the train next time whether you like it or not," Lucy grumbled, setting her bag down with a heavy thump. Natsu shuddered and lit a fire, digging around in his own pack.

"Uh-oh," he said.

"What?"

"I just realized something. We only have enough food for one night."

Lucy silently blinked at him. "What?" she repeated, tilting her head to the side.

"W-we...we only have enough food for one night," Natsu squeaked.

Lucy stared at him for a while longer as her face steadily became redder and redder. She closed her fists around her pack, trembling with rage. She sprung without a warning, hitting Natsu repeatedly with the heavy baggage. "You idiot! Why didn't you get more food if you don't know the way to Clover? Now we've got to get to Clover tomorrow, or we're going to starve!"

"Not necessarily," Happy put in for his abused friend. "There are plenty of things to eat in the forest. You just have to know where to find them."

Lucy turned on him, practically foaming at the mouth. "I don't want food from the forest! I want processed human food that a real life person makes with their own two hands!"

"Why do you have to be so picky, Lucy?" Natsu complained, rubbing his sure-to-be-bruised arm. "So what if you've got to live off the wild for a few days? It's not a big deal. Besides, I'm sure we'll get to Clover in no time. You're just being dramatic."

"I'm not dramatic! I've just never been camping before, okay? Excuse me for being a little apprehensive considering what I've witnessed so far."

"Camping's awesome, there's nothing to be afraid of," Natsu assured with a grin. "Igneel and I used to do it all the time. I'm an experienced camper, so you don't have to be nervous. You're safe with me."

"Aye," Happy contributed.

Lucy dropped the pack on the ground again, defeated. She sat down and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them solemnly. "Whatever," she pouted.

"Aw, Lucy's blushing!"

"I'm not blushing, you stupid cat! Would you quit accusing me of stuff?"

"Stop calling me a stupid cat, and I might."

"You do call him that a lot, Lucy."

"Nobody asked you!"

The trio fell into their usual pattern of bickering as the beautiful full moon rose into the sky, bathing the forestry in it's bright silver light. Eventually Lucy grew too fatigued to fight anymore and spread out next to her companions, listening to Natsu tell stories about his foster parent until she could keep her eyes open no more and she fell into a blissful sleep.


	43. Breadcrumbs

**XLIII: Breadcrumbs**

Natsu frowned at his meager breakfast, pondering how on earth he would fulfill his promise to Lucy and get the three of them safely out of the East Forest. It was a lot harder than he thought. Briefly he even considered heading back to Iron Rose Castle to ask for directions, but imagining the look on Gajeel's face when he told them they'd all gotten lost was too much of a blow to his ego.

Staring down at his toast, he got an idea.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed, popping up. "Give me your bread!"

"But this is the last slice," she complained, looking down at it with longing.

Natsu scowled. "Do you want to get out of this forest or not?"

Begrudgingly, Lucy handed him her toast. "How is my toast going to help us get out of the - NATSU! What are you doing?"

He'd pinched off a tiny corner and sprinkled it on the ground, creating a fine pile of dust. The pale grain showed up well on the dark earth. "Don't you see, Lucy? We can drop some breadcrumbs every once in a while to keep track of where we've been."

"That's brilliant!" Lucy said, astonished. Then she scowled. "But do we have to use our food supply? It's already dwindled down enough."

"What else do you have to use?" Natsu retorted. Lucy was unable to respond, so she surrendered with a sigh and finished off her breakfast, which now consisted only of a bruised apple.

They packed up their things and headed off, Natsu periodically dropping breadcrumbs on the ground. Happy flew up in the sky to see if they were any nearer to a town, but he always came back claming he could only see trees around.

As they snaked through the trails, they eventually looped around and came across their breadcrumbs. Natsu's jaw dropped in disbelief and disappointment.

Birds were pecking away at the crumbs, clearing them from the path. "Shoo!" he cried, waving his arms. "Get away from here! Shoo!" The birds scattered after he shot fire at them, but too late. Most of the breadcrumbs were already gone.

"Great," Lucy huffed. "Now what?"

"We'll just have to keep going. Now we're so lost that we can't even find Gajeel's house," Natsu said, heading in the opposite direction.

"And whose fault is that?"

They traveled for several more hours, bickering amongst themselves. Happy spent most of his time in the skies to avoid the arguing, so it was he who first laid eyes on the clearing and the building that sat beyond. Joyful, he swooped back down to alert the others.

"Hey! Guys, there's a building just a little bit further!"

Natsu and Lucy stopped yelling to gawk at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, just keep going for another mile and you'll see it," Happy dutifully reported, feeling quite relieved. Maybe now they would stop shouting.

He was nearly trampled when the two of them shot forward, barrelling toward the mysterious building. They still shouted, but they were cheers and hoots. He blinked after the pair in shock. "Hey! Wait for me!"

All three of them were out of breath when the arrived at the castle. When they saw it, their faces slowly drooped.

It was a giant pink structure with blue domes and two huge wings sprouting out from either side. Simultaneously they tilted their heads, squinting at the gaudy structure.

"What...is it?" Natsu said.

Suddenly they were bombarded with a rain of charisma-induced sparkles, blinding them in the light of an afternoon sun. Natsu felt something step on his foot, but it was too bright to see what it was. He gave a battle cry and swung his fist, making contact with what seemed to be a human head.

"OW!"

The glitter cleared, and in front of them stood four men. Three of them were young and handsome. Of those was a short, delicate blonde, an average dirty-blonde, and a tall, tan man with black hair. The last man was shorter than even the blonde, but he was much older and had a tight face, as though the skin had been pulled back over sharp angles. They all struck dramatic poses, even the shortest man who had been the victim of Natsu's fist.

The three visitors were in shock.

"Wha - ?" Lucy began, but she was interrupted as the three of them surged forward and crowded around her.

"Oh look, a lovely seductress who hath emerged from the woodland," the dirty-blonde said, gently touching her chin. "I've never stared into such perfect brown eyes. They're like the finest of melted chocolate."

Lucy blinked. "Huh?"

"You look so tense," the blonde murmured, claiming Lucy's hands. "You must've been traveling for quite a while. Would you like a shoulder rub?"

"No, not really - "

"She doesn't need a shoulder rub," the tan one said. "We need to get her inside and out of this sun."

"You're one to talk!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Men!" the short one said. "What are you doing? Introduce yourself to the lady first, at least, no matter how ravishingly beautiful she is." He winked at her, sending a disturbed chill down Lucy's spine. "Hello, my dear. I am Ichiya Wanderlei Kotobuki."

The short blonde one struck another pose. "Eve Thylum, or Holy Night Eve."

The tan one also struck a pose. "Ren Akatsuki, or Silent Night Ren."

And finally, the one with the dirty-blonde hair struck his pose. "I am Hibiki Laytis, or A Thousand Night Hibiki."

"Men!" Ichiya snapped again. "Now you may bring the lady inside."

The three of them ran right over Natsu and Happy as they swept Lucy inside the giant candy-colored castle, the Celestial mage too shocked to do anything about it. Natsu scowled as he dusted himself off. He ran up behind them and grabbed Lucy, tugging her out of their grasp. "What the hell?" he cried. "Who do you think you are?"

"We are the Trimens," Ichiya stated simply. "Please, you're also welcome to come inside. I'm sure our master would be happy to see you."

"Where are we, anyway?" Happy asked.

Ichiya raised his eyebrows. "You mean you don't know?"

"We got lost," Lucy explained. "We have no idea where we are. When we saw this building, we were hoping that whoever lived here could tell us."

Ichiya gave a pose which he pointed at them. "You three weary travelers have come upon the doorstep of the most refined woodland resort that Fiore has to offer!"

"Woodland resort?" they repeated.

"Welcome," Ichiya said, gesturing widely with his arms. "Welcome to Blue Pegasus."


	44. Blue Pegasus

**XLIV: Blue Pegasus**

In all her seventeen years of confinement, Lucy never thought she would actually feel relieved about being alone. But after an hour at Blue Pegasus, she never yearned for solitude more.

The patrons at Blue Pegasus were exceedingly kind; suffocatingly so. Most of the woodland resort's occupants were females, all of whom absolutely drooled over at least one of the few male workers. Lucy soon found that there was an intricate web of delicate love triangles, most of which revolved around Hibiki, Eve, or Ren. Just being in their presence supplied Lucy with a fair share of dirty looks. It didn't help that all of them flirted with her whenever even the slightest opportunity presented itself.

Natsu had another problem entirely. He was disliked by all of the Trimens - what the employees called themselves at Blue Pegasus - and his attitude disgusted the majority of the female clientele. The only one who seemed to take a liking to Natsu was the owner and manager of Blue Pegasus, a round, flamboyant, feminine man by the name of Bob. Lucy wasn't sure if it was because he was hoping to recruit Natsu into the workforce, or if it was for some other unknown, more personal reason. Whatever the case, his attentions made Natsu extremely uncomfortable. Lucy wouldn't be surprised if he was just as glad for solitude as she was.

As for Happy, he was swept away during the tour of Blue Pegasus by the guests. Never before had they seen something so adorable, or so they claimed. Lucy shuddered to think of what would happen if they saw Plue.

Bob had assigned them each a separate room, free of charge. Lucy thought this was supremely generous of him, and was determined to do anything she could to make up for it. She would have paid...if she'd had the money. The fact of the matter was that Natsu hadn't performed since they'd stayed in Magnolia Town, which was well over two weeks ago, and his fire juggling was the only source of income they had. Lucy wondered if Bob would be kind enough to let them perform here at Blue Pegasus, but decided against asking. She wasn't sure if it would offend the owner or not. Besides, they were only staying one night and then making their way to Clover Town, which, according to Hibiki, was only a few miles away.

Her room was way over-the-top, just like the rest of Blue Pegasus. There was a large king-sized feather bed in the center of the room, adorned with floral blankets and coverlets and decorative pillows galore. Beside the bed were two cream colored tables, each with a dim lamp and a multitude of perfumed candles. The scent was overwhelming, but when Lucy tried to open a window none of them would budge. There was a large oak vanity set on the other side of the room, and on the adjacent wall was a dresser and entrance to a bathroom.

Sighing, Lucy flopped into the plush bed. She hadn't slept in a bed in over three days.

But now was not the time to sleep. She also hadn't had a shower in three days, and that was certainly a more pressing matter.

The hot water felt marvelous against her skin, and the soap was an exfoliating lavender scrub that gently wiped away the grime of her travel. After dragging a comb through her hair and brushing her teeth, Lucy stepped from the bathroom only to realize that she had no clothes to sleep in.

As if on cue, someone knocked on the door. Self-consciously Lucy tightened the towel around her bosom, but there was nothing else that she had to answer the door in. It was probably Natsu anyway.

When she opened the door, Lucy was surprised to find that it wasn't Natsu. It was Hibiki, who carried several towels and a set of silk pajamas in his arms. He blinked when he saw her appearance, and sparkled when she blushed.

"Don't be embarrassed, fair maiden," he said, cupping her chin with his free hand. "You have a beautiful - "

"Finish that sentence, and I will decapitate you," Lucy threatened. Hibiki looked shocked, but then gave her a genuine smile.

"Fair enough," he said. "Here are some pajamas and some extra towels. I thought you might be in need of them."

"Thank you." Lucy took the linens.

"It's my pleasure. Is there anything else you might need?"

"Actually, I was trying to open a window earlier and I couldn't get it," Lucy admitted, stepping out of his path and allowing him access to her room. "Is there anyway you could...?"

"Say no more," Hibiki said with a wink. "Your prince is here to save the day." He made his way across the room in three long strides and muscled the window open, letting in some of the cool autumn breeze. He shivered. "Are you sure you want to keep this open? It's kind of chilly."

"I'll close it later," Lucy dismissed. "No offense, but the fumes were giving me a headache."

"Yeah, we haven't rented this room out in a while," Hibiki said quietly, almost to himself. Lucy cocked her head to the side, but before she could ask anything his mood shifted once again. "If you get cold, just call and I'll warm you up with the heat of my passion."

Lucy pointed at the door. "Out!"

Hibiki gave an exaggerated bow. "Farewell, my lovely Lucy. Until we meet again..." He straightened up and began to depart, but froze when he passed the dresser. Lucy felt her blood run cold when he gingerly plucked her keys off of the flat surface, where she'd deposited them while she showered. She couldn't see his face as he inspected them; his back was turned to her.

"Lucy," Hibiki said, his voice devoid of all flirtatious abandon for once, "you had mentioned before that you were a mage. What kind of magic do you practice, exactly?"

Lucy sputtered, desperately trying to formulate an answer. "Th-that's none of your business!" she said finally, snatching the keys out of his hands. "I don't appreciate you going through my things. Thank you for bringing up the towels and pajamas, but if you'd please leave so I can go to sleep after three days of travel that would be nice."

Hibiki gave a solemn nod, his face still unreadable. "Very well. Goodnight, Lucy."

Lucy sat down upon the bed as the door gently closed, feeling frightened that her identity had been discovered, horrified at her rudeness toward Hibiki, and utterly exhausted from her journey. Wearily she fell into bed without bothering with the pajamas, slipping under the covers in only her towel.


	45. Irresistible Dishes

_**Author's Note:** So for those of you who've guessed, yes, this is Hansel and Gretel. But this one's a little...different. Well, more different. I really just used Hansel and Gretel as a basic idea structure. I went a little more away from the traditional story than I usually do. My apologies if anyone was confused._

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><p><strong>XLV: Irresistible Dishes<strong>

Natsu slept in his own frilly room alone that night. Happy didn't make an appearance until the wee hours of the morning, looking dazed and wearing what seemed to be clothes created for a baby doll. "Don't let them take me again," Happy pleaded, struggling with the bonnet on his head. "Please, don't let me out of your sight. Don't let them take me again."

Someone knocked on the door just as Natsu was changing into the clothes that Blue Pegasus supplied for him, a simple pair of pants and a pale collared shirt with the resort's emblem stitched on the right breast pocket in azure thread. Natsu regarded the clothes with distaste, but he had nothing else to wear considering his other clothes were worn from the incomplete journey between Magnolia and Clover. He supposed that these were the only clothes the resort was able to supply on such short notice, but _still_.

He answered the summoning to find Bob fluttering his tiny wings with a smile on his face. "Hello, Natsu-kun," he said pleasantly, making Natsu slightly uncomfortable with the familiar honorific. "I was just wondering if you would like to join me and the Trimens for breakfast."

"Uh...sure," Natsu agreed. He turned to Happy to get his opinion on the matter, and once the blue cat agreed they accompanied Bob down the hall. "Are we gonna get Lucy too?" Natsu asked as they were passing her rooms.

The innkeeper smiled, but it was more tense than the one he had greeted Natsu with. "I've already asked her, and she refused," he explained, continuing down the hallway undeterred.

"Really?" Natsu said in disbelief, exchanging a look with Happy. "That's not like her. Maybe I should go see what's up?"

"No, no, she gave me the implication that she didn't want to be bothered," Bob said, ushering them along. Natsu soon forgot Lucy's strange behavior when he beheld the extensive meal laid out for him and the employees of Blue Pegasus, two of which were already seated and enjoying the meal. It was the tan one and the short blonde one. "I'm sure you remember Ren-kun and Eve-kun," said Bob, gesturing to each one respectively. "I'm afraid that Hibiki-kun and Ichiya-san couldn't be with us this morning. Someone has to entertain the guests."

"Please," Eve said with a smile, "sit with us and eat."

Natsu did, loading his plate with exorbitant amounts of food. Eve and Ren observed his gluttony with something like mild disgust, while Bob pondered it with silent disapproval. "Natsu-kun," he said finally. "It's not polite or attractive to eat with such...gusto. I would very much appreciate it if you consumed your food in a more dignified, tidier manner."

The Fire Dragonslayer froze, a mountain of pancakes poised on his fork. Natsu wasn't usually one for manners, particularly not those of the table origin, but he had no desire to offend the innkeeper after he'd been so considerate toward him, Happy, and Lucy. So he regretfully unloaded about three-fourths of the food he was just about to stuff in his mouth and took a smaller bite, paying special attention as to whether he was smacking or not. Bob gave a forgiving smile and, just when Natsu thought he had passed inspection, used some kind of wand-like device to knock his elbows off of the table. "There, now you are the epitome of courtesy. Wouldn't you say, boys?"

Eve and Ren gave vigorous nods, but they shared a look with each other across the table.

After breakfast, Bob gave Natsu and Happy the freedom to roam Blue Pegasus. "But we have to get on the road soon, or else we won't make it to Clover before it gets dark," Natsu said. "I'm sorry to ask any more of you than we already have, but would you mind giving us a map so we can make it there without getting lost again?"

"I will certainly give you a map and other supplies when the time comes for you to leave," Bob promised. "But I'm afraid that it looks as though it's getting ready to rain. I'd stay here until the storm passes, if I were you."

Natsu agreed to that and departed, wondering where he should malinger until the clouds passed. He recalled Lucy's curious refusal and headed up to her room with Happy, pausing at the windows on the way up. Bob had been honest when he said that there was rain in the foreseeable future; lazy gray clouds sailed across the sky in herds, perilously close to unloading sporadic buckets of rain.

Lucy's room was only a few paces away from his. When he knocked on the door, she didn't answer. "Maybe she's still asleep?" Natsu guessed, looking down to Happy for his opinion. The cat shrugged. Natsu walked in, peering around the door in case Lucy was in the midst of dressing. He'd never make that mistake again. "Lucy?"

He stepped inside, but quickly realized that no one was there. The bed was neatly made and the door to the bathroom ajar. Natsu frowned and grabbed the keys on the bedside table. _What would make her abandon her Spirits like this? _he wondered. As far as he knew, she never went anywhere without them.

"Natsu!"

The man in question jumped violently and wheeled around, hiding the keys from view. Ichiya stood in the threshold, struggling under the weight of a stack of towels that were taller than he was. Natsu hastily took half of his load.

"Thanks, man," Ichiya sighed, wiping his forehead in relief. "I hate to bug you, but since you've already got the towels...would you mind taking them up to the lovely lady in room 2B?"

"Actually, I was gonna look for Lucy...I can't find her anywhere," Natsu said. "But I guess I can do this first."

"Thanks, man," Ichiya said again. "You're a lifesaver." He padded down the hallway, staggering under the weight of the towels as he deposited them from room to room.

Natsu shrugged and stuffed the keys into his pocket, knowing Lucy probably wouldn't want them lying around. He meandered through the halls until he found room 2B. The woman who answered the door was rather lovely, and she tipped Natsu after he brought the towels to her. The Salamander stared at the jewels in his hand until Happy said, "She must think you work here."

"You think?" Natsu said, pocketing the jewels. "Well, we can use this to pay a little bit of money to Bob. I feel kind of bad that he's letting us stay for free."

"Aye," Happy said.

"Let's go find Lucy now," suggested Natsu. They searched Blue Pegasus for a while, but to no avail. They couldn't find their blonde companion. Several times they were sidetracked by random women coming up to Natsu asking him to them favors. Happy explained to them that he didn't work for the resort, and they went away. The third time this happened, Natsu looked over and saw that Happy wasn't there anymore.

_Where'd he go? _the Fire Dragonslayer wondered, but he was once again distracted by a woman who asked which way the tanning lacrima was. Natsu, who had circled the resort several times in his quest for Lucy, sent her in that direction. "But I don't see why you need a tan," he added, eyeing her rust-brown skin that had the same artificial glare as Ren's.

"Aw, you're so sweet," the woman said coyly, misinterpreting his remark. She skipped away with a smile on her face, heading in the direction Natsu had indicated despite his compliment/insult.

Natsu shook his head and headed to the outside pool. The clients were slowly migrating back to the refreshing waters now that the threat of rain seemed to have subsided in place of sunny blue skies. They were determined to enjoy the last mild days of summer, although the air was already crisp with the beginnings of autumn chill. Natsu surveyed the weather with growing irritation. _We should be on our way now_, he thought._ But Happy and Lucy both disappeared. Where the hell did they go?_

"There you are!" Natsu turned to see Eve heading his way, a smile on his face. "Hello, Natsu-san," he said politely. "I was just wondering if you would like to join me for lunch."

"Sorry, but me and my friends should go while the weather's still like this," Natsu said. "You seen them? I've been looking for Lucy all morning, and I just lost Happy a second ago."

"I'm afraid I haven't," Eve said, still retaining a pleasant smile. "But I'm sure they'll turn up soon. Until they do, why don't you join me for lunch? All that searching must have made you hungry."

"I really need to - "

Eve urged Natsu along, interrupting him. "I insist."

Natsu didn't bother to object this time, frowning at Eve as he ushered him through the hallways of Blue Pegasus. The short blonde was surprisingly strong for someone so delicate, and it unsettled Natsu. Eve kept a firm, guiding hand on Natsu's shoulder until they reached their destination, which was dining hall for the Trimens. Yet another long table adorned with many irresistible dishes awaited them, as well as Bob, Hibiki, and Ichiya, who welcomed Natsu with an easier kinship than they had before.

"Please, Natsu-kun, take a seat," Bob said, gesturing to his right-hand side. Natsu apprehensively neared the seat with deliberate slowness, feeling everyone's eyes trained on him. Lucy's keys jingled in his pocket with each step, and, although the Trimens continued to give him disarming smiles, he couldn't shake the growing suspicion that something was horribly, horribly wrong.


	46. Crab Shells

_**Author's Note:** So I thought I'd let you guys know that from now on I will only be updating on Fridays instead of on Wednesdays and Fridays. I'm finding less and less time to write lately. On the bright side, there is a great possibility that the chapters will be longer, which I know has been a source of aggravation for many of you._

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><p><strong>XLVI: Crab Shells<strong>

Lucy glared at Hibiki as he came into her lavish cell, a plate of crab legs in hand. "Here," he said, handing it to her. When she didn't take it, he set it down on the table and sat across from her.

Hibiki had come in that morning and taken her around Blue Pegasus, leading her in this room where he locked her in and refused to let her out. She said nothing as he cracked a crab leg and pulled out some of the succulent meat, dipping it in melted butter before consuming it.

"Look, I'm here to help you," he said finally, wiping his hands on a cloth napkin embroidered with the resort's symbol.

"Help me?" Lucy gaped. "You locked me in here! How on earth is that helping me? Where's Natsu and Happy?"

"Happy's in the room next to you, and Natsu's talking with Master Bob," Hibiki answered. "If you just listen for a second, I'll tell you everything you want to know. But in return, you have to answer some questions for me."

He consumed another leg while she thought about it. "Fine," she said, "but it depends on what your questions are."

"Fair enough," said Hibiki.

"You first."

Hibiki cleared his throat, cracking another crab leg. "Don't misunderstand, Lucy. We're not cruel people here at Blue Pegasus. We're not going to keep you here any longer than necessary, and we'll release you once our job is done. But you see, we're short of hands and Master Bob has taken an interest in your friend, Natsu. It's rare that a male comes around, particularly one that meets the requirements of a Trimen. Master Bob snatches them up whenever he can, if you catch my drift."

"So...what you're saying is that Master Bob wants to recruit Natsu into the Trimens," Lucy summarized, frowning.

"Yes, Fair Lucy. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But why don't you just ask? Why do I have to be held hostage?"

"Because, Master Bob doesn't _ask_ if someone wants to be a Trimen," Hibiki said, slurping up crab meat in a dignified manner. "He _makes_ someone a Trimen. Me, Eve, Ren, Ichiya; we were all made into what we are now. Master Bob didn't give us the chance to refuse, and he won't give your friend that luxury either."

"But...how do you get made into a Trimen?" Lucy inquired, still confused. "And you haven't answered my second question."

"I was getting there. In order for someone to become a Trimen, they must train for a time, get used to the idea of working here. It's kind of nice; you get fed anything you want, you get all the women you want, and you really don't have to do much but flirt. Once Master Bob thinks you're ready, he initiates you into the Trimens. All you have to do is sit in the sauna. Pretty simple."

"That's it?" Lucy remarked. "You have to sit in the sauna?"

"It's the ultimate test, Lucy," Hibiki said, wiping his hands. "One can only survive the sauna if they are a mage."

"Wait," Lucy gasped, "the Trimens are all mages?"

"Yes, all of us. Anyway, to answer your last question, Master Bob has you in here so that you don't distract Natsu from his training. Without you, he won't leave. Eventually he'll grow used to the prospect of staying here, and Master Bob will throw him in the sauna. Then he'll be a Trimen, and he won't be able to leave." Hibiki stopped.

"Why...why wouldn't he be able to leave?"

"The sauna isn't a normal one. It's filled with a magical gas that, once you breathe it in, you have to breathe it again every day or else you'll lose your powers," Hibiki said.

"But why would Bob do all this?" Lucy cried. Bob had seemed so nice!

"Master Bob means well. I don't think he realizes that what he's doing is bad. Which is why I'm here to help you," Hibiki said, switching topics. "I'm going to make Master Bob see the error of his ways and free you and Natsu as well as myself and the other Trimens."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I'll keep that to myself until the time comes," Hibiki dodged, smiling. "Now, Lucy, it's my turn to ask you some questions."

Lucy squared her shoulders and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Where did you and Natsu come from? I know you two are mages; you're a Celestial Spirit Mage, right? Where did you learn your powers? What keys do you have? How did you acquire them?" Lucy was overwhelmed by Hibiki's flood of questions. She wondered how he knew anything about Celestial Magic, but decided to ask that question later.

"It's a long story," she warned.

Hibiki's mouth twitched. "I've got time."

So, for lack of a better way to explain anything, Lucy told Hibiki everything from the time she met Natsu to their arrival at Blue Pegasus. It felt good to finally say everything out loud; it was like removing a weight from her shoulders. Hibiki seemed surprised to learn that she was the Lost Princess, but didn't interrupt her the entire time.

After she was done, he murmured, "So you only have silver keys."

"No. I have one gold one: Cancer. The rest are silver. Their names are Lyra, Hologorium, and Plue." Lucy paused and cleared her throat. "Hibiki...how do you know so much about Celestial Magic?"

Hibiki leaned back in his chair and puffed out his cheeks. "Do you know who Karen Lilica is?"

The name tugged at the fringes of Lucy's memory, but she couldn't remember where she'd heard it. "No. It sounds familiar, but..."

"She was a Celestial Spirit Mage, just like you."

Lucy reeled. Another Spirit Mage? That's right! She saw the name in Jose's files, in the list of people who also had her magic. Then Lucy frowned. "Was?"

"Karen was killed two years ago by another Spirit Mage. Her name was Angel," Hibiki said, talking more to himself than to Lucy. "Karen worked here. She wasn't...very nice. At least not to her Spirits. She treated them more like tools than she did people. Master Bob and I tried to talk to her, but she never listened to us. Karen was very much a free spirit herself; she didn't like being told what to do by anyone.

"Anyway, one of her Spirits got fed up with her and stayed in this world so that Karen couldn't summon any other Spirits until she agreed not to abuse them anymore. Do you know what happens to a Spirit when they stay in the human world for too long, Lucy?"

Lucy's memory went back to Plue after she sent him to get Levy when she was imprisoned by Gajeel, how weak he'd been only after a day or two of being outside. "Yes. They lose strength."

"Eventually, they'll die," Hibiki explained. "This Spirit almost did. He would have, if Karen hadn't died first.

"She and Angel had been long time enemies, and they got into it one day. Karen couldn't summon a Spirit. Angel...killed her and took her keys." Lucy felt a surge of sympathy for Hibiki as he turned away, hiding his face in shadow. "The Spirit who stood up to her went back into his key. He's a gold key so he can be summoned by anybody, but..."

"Wait a second," Lucy interrupted, "this key. Is it here? Or did Angel take it?"

"...It's here," Hibiki said. "I have it. Nobody knows, not even Master Bob. I've never summoned him. I don't want to see his face. I've thought about killing him, but Spirits don't die the way humans do, and Karen told me that if you kill a Zodiac Spirit then you take its place. That's why she was so terrified when he decided to take a stand. But she was stubborn, probably one of the most stubborn people I've ever met."

Lucy was silent as she looked at her feet. "I'm sorry, Hibiki."

"Me too," Hibiki said. He reached into his pocket and drew out a glittering golden key, placing it on the table. "Take it. I don't want it anymore."

With that he stood up and exited the room, leaving the empty plate of crab shells behind.


	47. Skin And Bone

**XLVII: Skin and Bone**

The next day was the same for Natsu. He was awoken by one of the Trimens, ate breakfast with Bob and the Trimens, wandered Blue Pegasus while doing favors for the guests and for the Trimens, and then he ate dinner with the Trimens.

He did not see Lucy or Happy anywhere.

Whenever he asked any of the Trimens where they were, they always replied, "Oh, I thought I saw them around here somewhere" or "Did you check this place or that place?" He was never given a direct answer, and no matter how many times he searched the woodland resort he could not find them.

He often looked up to see the Trimen staring at him, observing him, especially when he did favors for them or the clients. Natsu became gradually more frustrated with the situation, wishing that he could confront them, knowing it was unwise to do so. Especially if they had Lucy and Happy in their clutches. At this point, he was uncertain as to whether the employees of Blue Pegasus were friends or foes.

As he simmered, a woman tapped on his shoulder. "Excuse me, but could you send more shampoo up to my room? I'm out."

"No," Natsu snapped. "I can't, because I don't work here."

"Oh," the woman said, scampering away. "S-sorry for bothering you. My mistake."

Ichiya swooped down upon the situation. "We will send shampoo up to your room right away, but the natural silky shine of your hair could not possibly be matched by any chemical product."

When the woman went on her way, Ichiya turned on Natsu. "That was very rude."

"Well, it was true," Natsu snarled. "I don't work here, and it's not my job to bring her shampoo to her room. It's yours."

"You didn't have any issues with it yesterday," Ichiya pointed out.

"That's because yesterday I thought I was just doing people favors. I'm not even supposed to be here right now; I'm supposed to be in Clover!" Natsu grabbed the front of Ichiya's shirt and lifted up into the air. "Where are Lucy and Happy? You know where they are, so don't even bother lying to me!"

"Why don't we talk about it over lunch...?"

"No!" Natsu released him, and his fists ignited with flame. People screamed and ran away from the scene, glancing back at him with fearful eyes. "Stop stuffing me with food, pretending that everything's okay! Tell me where Lucy and Happy are right now, or else! I know that you're hiding them from me! Where are they?"

Ichiya slowly got up and dusted off his suit. "Sorry, Natsu," he said. Then he whipped something out of his pocket and sprayed it in Natsu's face, and the lobby disappeared in favor of black oblivion.

When he woke up, he heard voices talking. Ichiya and Bob. Bob seemed angry. Ichiya said something back, then stopped when he realized that Natsu was awake. Natsu caught a whiff of sweet-smelling mist, then sank back into unconsciousness.

The third time he opened his eyes, Natsu clung to consciousness with all he had, fighting tooth and nail just to keep his eyelids from closing. His limbs felt heavy like weights, as if he were buried under Iron Rose Castle.

As he became more aware of his surroundings, he saw that he was in a humid, warm, dark room with no windows and only two doors. One was at the top of three wooden steps; the other was across the expanse of the tiny wooden room, waves of moisture seeping from behind it. He blinked, but even his Dragonslayer eyes couldn't see anything else in the room.

Suddenly a lamp flickered to life, momentarily blinding him. Bob smiled down on him like some kind of round, peppy angel, oblivious to the fact that Natsu could barely move. Natsu glared at the innkeeper, but he couldn't bring himself to put his soul into it. Bob didn't seem like a bad guy. He couldn't be bad...right?

Natsu blinked, reorganizing his thoughts. Whatever sinister concoction Ichiya sprayed on him had muddled his brain, only adding to his difficulty speaking. He opened his mouth, but it felt as though it were full of marbles; he couldn't get the words out, and his tongue was slow to respond.

"Sorry, Natsu-kun. Let me get Ichiya for you," Bob said, fluttering away. A few moments later he returned with the short man, who sprayed yet another perfume in Natsu's face despite his weak protest. Instantly Natsu began to feel revitalized. Energy flowed through his veins, pushing out the lethargy that had settled there.

Ichiya pocketed the bottle. "That was _Awake_. I had to give you a double-dose of _Asleep_, which would probably put a normal person in a coma. You woke up only after a hour with the first dose though, Salamander."

"How ...how you know who I am?" Natsu's speech was still slurred from _Asleep_.

"We always knew who you were, Natsu-kun," Bob chirped pleasantly. "The moment you arrived, I knew. Tales about you have been told all over Fiore, and it helps that I'm a close personal friend of Master Makarov of Fairy Tail Castle. You remember him, yes?"

Natsu's slow brain processed the information before the image of a tiny, albeit powerful, old man with a thick mustache popped up from the recesses of his memory. Yes, he remembered the old man: Makarov Dreyar, mayor of Magnolia, master of Fairy Tail Castle, grandfather to that damnable Laxus Dreyar. He'd defeated his grandson in battle, though, only to let him get away.

"You know...Gramps...?"

"Oh, of course!" Bob crooned. "We were best buddies back when I lived in Magnolia all those years ago; well, it wasn't that long ago, mind you, Master Bob's still fresh with the vitality of youth! Anyway, I met him in Clover Town just a few weeks back, and he told me all about you. I longed to get my hands on you then, but of course I never intentionally lure people to Blue Pegusas. It was fate that you walked right into my clutches!"

"What're you talking about?" Natsu inquired, confused.

"You see, Natsu," Ichiya said, interrupting, "the Trimens are not just a bunch of handsome young men pursuing the gentle touch of a woman whilst working at a fine woodland resort. Nay, we are a group of handsome young mages who strive to better ourselves and our world with our powers."

"Think of the Trimens as a brotherhood," Eve put in, appearing from the dark recesses of the room. "We all prosper from each others' companionship, and as a result we bring joy and peace to the sanctions of Fiore we can reach."

"It takes a true man to qualify for the Trimens," Bob said giddily, positively reverberating with excitement. "I hand-pick the members myself, and put them through arduous tests to see if they'll be beneficial or malicious to the cause."

Natsu frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, Natsu-kun, that I have chosen you."

"I can't," Natsu said immediately, rubbing his eyes. He still couldn't quite think straight. "I've gotta...I've gotta find Igneel, and take Lucy to Acylpha. Where's Lucy? Where's Happy?"

"We can help you find your dragon, if you'll only join," Bob promised. "And as for Lucy-san, I'll send her to Clover where she can take a train directly to Acylpha. Your blue friend can also stay here, if he'd like, or I can send him with Lucy-san. But this can only happen after you join the Trimens."

"What if I say no?" Natsu asked, narrowing his eyes defiantly. All he got in return was a laugh, full of such glee and utter delight that Natsu searched around the dark, dank room to locate the source of Bob's amusement. He quickly grew frustrated when he found nothing. "What the hell are you laughing at?"

"You, Natsu-kun!" Bob squealed, wiping a tear from his eye. "You have completely misunderstood me."

"How so?"

"There is no _refusing _the Trimens," Bob said, still choking on chortles. "It is a great honor, one that I will not allow other foolhardy obligations to take away from you. I'm doing this for you, Natsu-kun, because I guarantee there is no other place better for you than Blue Pegasus. So, no, there will be no refusing the Trimens."

"Huh?" Natsu blinked. The room was strangely fuzzy.

Bob leaned in close, a smile on his lips.

"You can't say no because I'm not asking."


	48. A Nudge In The Right Direction

**XLVIII: A Nudge In The Right Direction**

Lucy turned the golden key over in her hands, inspecting the shiny surface, studying the Zodiac sign, comparing it to her other keys. The sign was Leo the Lion; that much she knew. But the key gave no other implications as to what the Spirit's personality might be. Lucy thought that maybe Plue or Lyra or Hologorium would know something about the strange new Spirit, but she couldn't summon them since she didn't have her keys with her. She'd found it unwise to carry them around Blue Pegasus after seeing Hibiki's reaction to them, and now she cursed that decision. Lucy felt helpless and alone without her keys jingling at her hip.

Though she knew that the best way to get to know Leo was to talk to him herself, Lucy was apprehensive about doing so. Hibiki had painted her a picture of a conniving, yet empathetic Spirit who harbored a bitter respite toward his master for controlling him. She figured that most of this was probably the product of her imagination, but she still couldn't get the image out of her head.

Not to mention the fact that facing a lion alone was a rather terrifying prospect.

She set the key down on the dresser, flopping backward onto the bed as she stared at the white, dimpled ceiling. _When am I going to get out of here? It's so boring, I think I might go crazy._

_Lucy!_

The blonde in question bolted out of bed, swinging her head around wildly for the source of the frantic voice. There was no one in the room. Lucy's eyes widened as a terrifying idea formed in her mind. _I'm hearing voices! I'm actually going crazy!_

_You're not going crazy, Lucy. This is Hibiki._

Lucy frowned. _Hibiki? How...?_

_There's no time for that, I'll explain later_, Hibiki said urgently. _I need you down here now! Master Bob has decided to start Natsu's initiation into the Trimens. He's getting ready to throw him in the sauna!_

Lucy propelled herself toward the door, only to find it unyielding. _The door's locked! How do I get out?_

_The window. You're on the first story, and I left it unlocked for you_. Hibiki sent her directions to the sauna through images. _Also_, he added, _get Happy. He's in the room to the left of yours. Hurry up, Lucy, Natsu doesn't have much time left!_

Lucy pulled the squeaky window open and tentatively stuck her head out, measuring the drop. It was only about a foot. She grabbed Leo's key as a second thought and stuffed it into her pocket before sticking one preliminary foot out of the window and stepping onto the ground below. She knocked on Happy's window and gestured for him to pull it open, helping him when she could. He zoomed out enthusiastically.

"I'm so glad you're here!" he cheered. "I've haven't seen you or Natsu in - "

"No time for that now! Follow me!" Distracted by the urgency in her voice, Happy followed Lucy down the twisting hallways of Blue Pegasus and listened as she hastily explained the situation. His round eyes became wider as the story progressed, and soon he was zipping through the hallways ahead of Lucy, impatiently waiting for her to catch up when he hit a turn and he didn't know which way to go.

Eventually they made it to the lower part of Blue Pegasus and bolted down a long, narrow hallway that gradually became more humid. Soon Lucy was sweating in rivulets, and Leo's key grew slippery in her clenched fist.

There was a door at the end of the hallway, the small window clouded with condensation. Lucy quickened her pace and barrelled through, nearly toppling down the three wooden steps in the entrance. She caught herself in the door-frame just in time and laid eyes on the proceedings below.

Hibiki, Eve, Ichiya, and Ren stood in the four solitary corners of the room, while Bob and Natsu inhabited the middle. Natsu seemed only half coherent; his eyelids drooped slightly, and he was strangely calm and lethargic. Bob was utterly shocked to see Lucy and Happy, but the Trimens didn't seem disconcerted in the slightest. Lucy wondered if Hibiki had included them in his scheme.

"Get away from Natsu!" Lucy demanded, outraged. Happy nodded vehemently at her side, looking equally furious.

"Lucy? Happy?" Natsu mumbled.

Bob blinked and smiled, as if he could not be happier to lay eyes upon the blonde and the blue cat. "Lucy-san! Happy-san! I'm so glad you could make it."

"Don't play games with us," Lucy snapped.

"Games? I'm not playing any games."

"Don't lie! I know that you want Natsu to stay here with you! You're going to force him to, and you're not going to let him leave. You've been keeping Happy and me locked up for two days!"

"Lucy-san, you misunderstand," Bob said, shaking his head. "I admit that I did want Natsu to join the Trimens, and that I wrongfully imprisoned you and Happy-san because I was afraid you would influence his decision...for that, I'm sorry. But he has refused, and I'd be happy to let you go." He pointed to the door across the room. The door to the sauna. "That's the way out. Feel free to take Natsu-kun and do with him what you wish. Though it is a shame to lose such a lovely, powerful young man."

Lucy gawked at him. _He wants me to go in the sauna! He's going to make me join the Trimens too! _She opened her mouth to retort, but then thought of a plan that was just crazy enough to work. "Are...are you sure?" she asked sheepishly, using her look of disbelief to her advantage.

"Yes, go on. I'm not a cruel person, Lucy-san."

_Lucy, what are you doing? That's the sauna, not a way out!_ Hibiki cried in her mind.

_I know._

Lucy elaborated no further; she stepped forward and kneeled beside Natsu, who was unconscious. She draped his arm over her shoulders and hoisted him off the ground. "Would you mind getting the door for us, Master Bob? He's too heavy."

"Of course," Bob said, smiling. He fluttered over to the door and opened in, unleashing a swirling billow of steam.

Lucy whirled around. "Happy, push him in now!"

Quick as blue lightning, the cat flew across the room at maximum speed and shoved Bob into the sauna, closing the door behind him. The Trimens, even Hibiki, seemed stunned as Bob banged on the door, ordering them to let him out.

Lucy scowled at his blurred face in the window. "No," she yelled back. "Not until you hear what we have to say."

Bob fell silent.

"I don't believe you're a bad person, Bob," Lucy began. "I just think that your good intentions have led you astray. Hibiki explained to me why you formed the Trimens, and I really think that's a noble deed, but...you can't force others to volunteer for a cause that they don't want to join, no matter how, um, lovely or powerful they are. That's practically slavery. Think about what you've done to Hibiki and Ichiya and Eve and Ren. Because of your trick with the sauna, they can't go anywhere for more than a day. They're stuck living here for the rest of their lives, whether they want to or not. And now, so are you.

"So here's my proposition," Lucy continued. "We all know that you're a powerful mage, to be able to maintain Blue Pegasus. There's no reason that you of all people can't find a cure for this sauna poison. You do that and free yourself and all of the Trimens, and you let Natsu, Happy, and me walk out of here. If you're a good person, Bob, you'll see the errors of your ways and do your best to fix them."

There was a long pause.

"You're right," Bob finally said quietly from inside the sweltering sauna. "What have I been doing? What would Makarov and Goldmine say? I'm ashamed. My fascination with recruiting young mages has caused me to become tainted and sinful. I'm sorry, Lucy-chan, Natsu-kun, Happy-kun. And I'm sorry, Hibiki, Ichiya, Eve, and Ren." Lucy heard a sniff, and she realized that Bob was crying.

Ichiya stepped up and opened the door to the sauna, revealing Bob with his head in his hands, his wings completely still, on his knees. Bob looked up with glistening eyes, absolutely devastated. Ichiya gave a sparkling smile and held out a hand.

"We forgive you."


	49. Riches

**XLIX: Riches**

The three travelers stayed at the Blue Pegasus Woodland Resort for another day while Natsu recovered from his extreme dosage of _Asleep_. This time, Lucy and Happy were free to roam around and do as they pleased. They took full advantage of the opportunity, relaxing in the jacuzzi, walking through the gardens, and lounging in the - non-magical - sauna. Lucy even got a free massage from Ren, who had a touch like heaven.

Lucy saw the Trimens throughout the day - they never missed an opportunity to flirt with her, even if they had to abandon the maid they were courting in the process - but she didn't see Bob at all. When she mentioned this to Ren as he rubbed her shoulders, he remarked that the owner had locked himself in his personal quarters and refused to come out.

Both Lucy and Happy slept well that night, though they were still a bit concerned about Natsu. He'd been comatose since the ordeal, and although Ichiya said that he just needed some time to sleep the enchanted perfume away, his comrades still worried.

They didn't have to worry long. They were both awakened by Natsu the next morning, when he burst into their room and demanded an explanation, since Eve wouldn't tell him anything. Lucy had the gnawing suspicion that the delicate blonde had withheld information on purpose, just to irk the pink-haired Dragonslayer.

Anyway, Natsu was completely revitalized, which was the important thing. As he animatedly related his half of the story, he stopped abruptly and handed Lucy her keys. "I didn't think you wanted anybody to find them," he explained. Lucy slapped him for coming into her room without awaiting her approval, even though she hadn't been there at the time, then gave him a fierce bear hug. She was surprised how much she'd missed him, how much she'd worried about him, over the course of the past few days.

It was nice to have him back.

Lucy put Leo's key with the others, saving their meeting for another day. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be at Blue Pegasus when she summoned him, or even if she wanted to summon him at all. Golden keys could be used by anyone; perhaps she could sell it for a decent price when they got to Clover.

They planned to depart for Clover Town that morning, since it was a destination that was much overdue. First the delay with Levy and Gajeel, and now this..._At this rate_, Lucy thought, _I won't get to Acylpha until I'm an old lady_.

Blue Pegasus gave them all the supplies they would need for the short, one-day journey, including directions. With their packs and stomachs full, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy said their goodbyes to the Trimens, excluding Bob.

"Come back whenever you like," Ichiya said. "You'll be treated as honored guests."

"Thank you for everything you've done," added Eve.

"We hope to see you again soon," Ren agreed, blushing a little.

Lucy was relatively surprised when Hibiki pulled her into an embrace, but he let her go quickly. When he did, his gaze fell upon her keyring. "If you ever run into the Celestial Spirit mage Angel, I want you to do a favor for me," he began.

"Okay..." Lucy said, weary. She felt obligated to add, "but I'm not going to kill her, if that's what you're getting ready to ask. Sorry, I just don't think I have that in me."

"No, I wouldn't ask that of you," Hibiki chuckled. "But I do want you to defeat her in battle if you can, and take her keys. She deserves to be as powerless as possible."

"I'll do my best," Lucy promised.

Hibiki smiled again. "You're nothing like Karen at all."

Lucy wasn't sure if she should be flattered or offended by the comparison.

Just as the trio was getting ready to depart, Bob came - quite literally - flying down the corridor, flushed and feverish with excitement. "I've done it!" he cried, waving around a strange, wand-like device. Before any of them could inquire as to what he'd accomplished, he struck the four Trimens on the head with the device.

"There," he proclaimed, "you're all now free of the enchantment!"

The Trimens blinked at each other and smiled as the reality of his statement dawned on him, erupting into cheers. As they celebrated, Bob fluttered over to Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. "Thank you for helping me see the light," he began. "I realize now how truly heinous my actions were, and for that very reason" - he paused and snapped the wand - "I shall subject myself to the same punishment."

"You mean you didn't administer the cure on yourself?" Lucy gasped.

"No," Bob said. "I will forever be confined to Blue Pegasus by the poison of the sauna. It's a small price to pay for what I've done, but I feel like it's necessary."

Lucy felt as though Bob was being a bit hard on himself, for it was clear he deeply regretted his mistakes, but she refrained from saying anything. He was free to subject himself to any punishment he deemed appropriate.

The bald, be-winged man continued on with a cheery demeanor. "You three can come back whenever you like!" he declared, blinking at Natsu especially. "You can stay as long as you wish!"

"We'll keep that in mind," Lucy snickered.

"We're leaving now, though," Natsu added quickly.

"Of course, you three have much to accomplish!" Bob exclaimed. He fumbled in his pocket and extracted a heavy bag, dropping it into Natsu's hand. "Please, take this with you as a token of my appreciation. You'll need money when you get to Clover, and those are all your tips that you rightfully earned. Good luck on your quest to find Igneel, Natsu-kun. And I hope that you prosper with your father in Acylpha, Lucy-chan."

The pair gaped at him, speechless. "H-how did you know?" Natsu finally managed to sputter.

"I have my sources," Bob said vaguely, tapping his nose. "I learned of the Fire Dragon from Makarov, but I'm afraid that I'm unable to help you locate him. And as for Lucy-chan; well, it's obvious to any of us who have seen Queen Layla with our own eyes that you're the Lost Princess."

Lucy blushed as Ren and Eve gawked at her. "You're the Lost Princess?" they exclaimed in unison, aghast at the information. Ichiya seemed surprised but not shocked; Lucy supposed that he had suspicions, considering he was a good deal older than the rest of the Trimens.

"Time to go!" Lucy chirped, grabbing Natsu and Happy before Bob could say anything else. The Trimens waved at them as the three left, and watched their forms as they disappeared into the embrace of the forest.

"Do you think they'll make it alright?" Eve inquired aloud, tilting his head.

"I think they will this time," Bob replied. He looked at his group with affection and sighed, getting their attention with the sorrow in it. "I suppose this isn't the last goodbye I will have to partake in. Unfortunately, I've never been good at goodbyes."

"What are you talking about?" Hibiki asked.

Bob blinked. "I've been keeping the four of you here against your will for ages, so it makes sense that you would want to leave."

"And then how will you keep Blue Pegasus up and running?" Ichiya said.

"Wha - ?"

"Just because we're free," Eve interrupted, "doesn't necessarily mean that we're leaving."

"At least not for good," said Hibiki. "I mean, we might take trips every once in a while, but..."

"Really, where else do we have to go?" Ren put in.

Bob felt his eyes fill with tears as he realized what they were saying. The tears flowed from his eyes as he gazed at the four employees, who had never really been just employees. Since the very beginning Bob had regarded them as his family, his legacy; perhaps that was why he'd been so terrified of freeing them, of watching them leave. No matter the justifications, it was wrong and foolish to cage them so. Forgiveness was the greatest gift they could have bestowed upon him, but their friendship was a blessing.

With a smile, Ichiya turned to the others. "Right, men!" he snapped. "Back to work! Do you think all these ladies are here just to watch us dilly-dally about?"

The men dispatched, allowing their Master privacy as tears of joy flowed down his face.


	50. Warrior Woman In The Woods

_**Author's Note:** An exciting new arc! Can you guess the fairy tale? Most of you probably won't until the next chapter. Chapter 50 already! I can barely believe it...although it's probably because of the length...or lack thereof...my humble apologies. But I come baring good news: school is almost out for the summer, therefore I will have more time to write and more time to update. Yaaay!_

_I'd like to give everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or even just stuck with the story this long. It really inspires me to keep on writing. :)_

* * *

><p><strong>L: Warrior Woman In The Woods<strong>

_Natsu looks weird when he's trying to read_, Lucy decided, taking a bite of her sandwich as the afternoon sun glared down from between the gaps in the branches of the towering trees. The large, ornate map given to them by Blue Pegasus laid flat on the mossy ground. Natsu leaned over it precariously, screwing his face up as he traced his finger down the path they were following to get to Clover Town. She watched him do this for a whole five minutes, silently chewing on her lunch, until Natsu tapped the map decisively with his finger.

"We're right here," he declared with a nod.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Natsu, you're reading the map upside-down."

The Fire Dragonslayer's smug expression became shocked and then irritated in an instant. He glared at his blonde companion with contempt, two faint spots of pink coloring his cheeks. "Whatever, Lucy. If you're so smart, why don't you take the stupid map?"

"There's nothing wrong with not knowing how to read a map," Lucy shrugged, crawling over so she was sitting across from him and viewing the map correctly. "But I'm curious as to how you get around without knowing, since you travel so much."

"I'm a Dragonslayer," Natsu scoffed, as if this explained everything. "I don't need scraps of paper to tell me where I'm going. Besides, I've traveled Fiore so much that I know the distances between most cities."

Lucy decided it best not to answer. Natsu had been unusually testy all day; she had the lingering suspicion that his ego was a bit wounded from both being defeated by the Trimens - though Lucy thought it could hardly be considered a fair fight, since he'd been ambushed by surprise - and being rescued by Lucy. It was obvious from his demeanor that Natsu was the one used to doing the saving.

"We're about three miles from Clover," Lucy sighed after a moment of speculation. "We should be there by this evening, if we don't get delayed again."

Happy knocked on the log beside him.

They set off after they were done eating, rolling up the map of Fiore and putting it in Natsu's pack for safekeeping. Natsu's mood brightened considerably with the prospect of escaping the leafy confines of the East Forest, which the three of them had been traveling through since their detour to Hosenka Town to visit Levy. Idly Lucy wondered how her blunette friend was doing with Gajeel and Pantherlily, where she'd decided to permanently stay even after the Iron Dragonslayer had been released of his beast-curse set upon him by the Witch of the East Forest.

Lucy frowned. She hadn't thought of the mysterious witch in a very long while. All she knew of Porlyusica was that she'd somehow been involved in the birth of her and her twin brother, and that she was responsible for Gajeel's curse. Lucy was certain that she had met the witch once in the hot springs of Hosenka, but she'd unaware of her true identity at the time. _When we get to Clover_, Lucy vowed, _I'll stop by the library and do some more research_.

A large metallic clamor startled Lucy out of her reverie; she exchanged a glance with Natsu, who raised an eyebrow in return. The noise came from the bottom of a steep incline, the likes of which were becoming more and more frequent as they neared the mountainous range that enclosed Clover. Cautionly edging closer, the trio peered over the lip of the ravine and into the depths below.

A fierce woman was shouting at a group of terrified men as they scrambled out of the ravine, looking back at her in panic. Lucy had to admit, their cowardice was justified; the woman was fearsome, waving a deadly sword around in the air as her brilliant armor sparkled in the blotchy splotches of sunlight that filtered down from the canopy. Her long hair whipped in the breeze like a bloodied banner, a shade of bright crimson that Lucy had never seen before.

Beside her, she even felt Natsu hesitate.

"You're lucky I don't skin you alive for your atrocious behavior!" the woman was shouting. Lucy doubted that her threat was an empty one. "How dare you attack me, you thieving scoundrels? Run far and fast, and hope that I never see your faces again!"

The woman lowered her weapon as the bandits disappeared into the trees. To Lucy's surprise, the sword vanished as though comprised of air. She gasped.

The redhead looked up as if she felt her eyes on them, and the sword returned to her hand. "I'd follow their example, if I were you," she said harshly. "You're not stealing anything from me, not now, not ever. Get a move on." She shook her head as if ridding herself of an annoying insect. "Honestly, if I knew that Clover was teeming with such insolent low lives, I never would have..."

"We're not criminals," Natsu objected, scowling.

"We're on our way to Clover too," Lucy added, fidgeting when the redhead's attention moved from Natsu to her. "We were just passing by when we heard the commotion, that's all."

"Aye," Happy said.

The woman assessed them for a moment and nodded, her sword disappearing again. "Very well, then I have two favors to ask of you. If you comply, I will show my gratitude by treating you to a meal when we get to our destination."

"What's that?" Lucy asked, eager to help this strong, if not strange, woman.

"First, I've found myself lost and I don't know my way. Would you mind me accompanying you to the city?"

"Ha!" Natsu exclaimed, grinning wolfishly at Lucy. "See? I'm not the only one who gets lost!"

"You're lost too?" the redhead cried.

"No, we're not," Lucy snapped, more at Natsu than at the woman. "You're welcome to join us if you want. Clover's only about two miles away."

"What's your other request?" Happy asked.

"Get me out of this ditch, would you?"

Through the combined efforts of Lucy, Natsu, and Happy, they managed to get the woman out of the ravine and onto higher ground. She dusted off her armor, sniffing indignantly. "Those idiot bandits ambushed me and pushed me off of the edge," she explained, tossing her mane of red hair. Up close, the woman was even more menacing with her hard brown eyes and dangerous wardrobe. Lucy jumped when she stuck out a hand. "I'm Erza. Erza Scarlet."

Lucy, Natsu, and Happy introduced themselves to Erza and shook her hand. The redhead had a firm grip, and her eyes lit up with recognition when they said their names. "I've heard of you!" she exclaimed. "Master Makarov told me of you. You three were there for the Battle of Raijinshuu Castle; you helped thwart that bastard Laxus!"

"You know the old man?" Natsu said, surprised.

"Know him? I work for him," said Erza proudly. "Unfortunately I was away on a mission in Era when King Fried's birthday ball took place." Erza regarded them with a newfound respect. "Master Makarov speaks very highly of you three. He says that you, Natsu, are a Fire Dragonslayer, correct?"

Natsu nodded.

"We must duel sometime," Erza said with a steely glint in her eye.

"You're a mage too?" Lucy inquired.

"Yes," Erza said, but she did not elaborate on the subject.

Lucy tried again. "How is Makarov doing? And Mirajane and Fried, if you know?"

"Master Makarov is doing fine, considering the circumstances," Erza began as they continued down the path that would lead them to Clover. "He's still worried about Laxus, hell if I know why. That...that traitor deserved to be executed for his betrayal, not only to Master Makarov and myself, but to all of Fiore. If I ever cross paths with him again..."

Lucy shuddered. There was no need for the warrior to finish her sentence.

"As for the king and queen, they're still away on their honeymoon," Erza continued wistfully, "but I'm sure they'll be back soon. I've heard that Queen Mirajane's family's bed-and-breakfast is prospering. There's also a rumor going around that her brother and Evergreen are engaged to be wed."

"_Elfman and Evergreen_?" Natsu and Lucy exclaimed simultaneously.

"That's what I heard."

Lucy struggled to absorb this information, seeing as the two were so...so..._argumentative _was the word that came to mind, but it wasn't exactly a perfect way to describe Elfman's and Evergreen's muddled relationship. _Love _certainly didn't seem to be the word either.

The foursome talked as they trekked the last few miles, sharing stories and tidbits of information. Erza was just as aggressive as her appearance suggested, but there was one thing that revealed a softer, gentler side to her. "Once we get to Clover," she remarked, "we have to go by the bakery and get a strawberry cake."

Lucy dared not comment, but Natsu had to stifle laughter.

Eventually the trees parted and the sprawling city came into view, its shadows exaggerated and elongated as the sun set behind the peaks of the majestic mountains in the background. Natsu tipped back his head and let out a large cheer, accompanied by a hot jet of flame. Lucy laughed at Erza's expression and at the pure elation of finally, _finally_ making it to Clover Town.


	51. The Silent City

**LI: The Silent City**

The four travelers raced down the slope toward Clover, anticipation of urban comforts fueling their energy and their grinning faces.

"I can't wait for a hot bath!" Lucy shrieked.

"And a good meal!" added Nasu.

"Fish!" Happy suggested.

Erza declared, "We're doing nothing until we get my strawberry cake!"

They froze at the outskirts of the city, something in the air gradually causing their smiles to falter. Windswept and panting, the four companions stared at the buildings for a long time, trying to figure out what about them provoked such uneasiness in their chests.

It didn't take long for them to figure it out.

"Why," Lucy whispered, "is it so quiet?"

Indeed, Clover was virtually still, completely devoid of the busting commotion that was so often associated with cities. There were no voices carried by the breeze; no uneven cadence of footsteps on cobblestone roads; no carriages pulled by squeaky wheels; no rumblings of a train. It was so absolutely still and silent that even Lucy's hushed voice seemed loud.

Erza drew her sword. "Something's not right. Follow me."

The foursome tentatively started forward as the last rays of the setting sun disappeared behind the mountains. The light lacrima mounted to the tops of streetlamps illuminated the city with a cool white glow, casting everything in sharp relief. _This is the perfect setting for a horror movie_, Lucy thought with a shudder, closing her fist around Leo's key and edging closer to Natsu. Even the Dragonslayer seemed unnerved by their surroundings.

Erza and Natsu came to an abrupt halt ahead of her, causing her to run into the latter. Lucy was just about to protest, but she stopped when she caught their wide-eyed, horrorstruck expressions. Heart pounding, fear clogging her throat, Lucy followed their gaze.

Then she saw the bodies.

Lifeless people littered the streets, looking as though they'd all dropped dead where they stood. They sat slouched against benches or buildings, sprawled on cobblestones, thrown perilously over ledges. Even inside windows Lucy could see people slumped in chairs and resting on counter-tops.

She covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a scream. "Wh-wha - ?" Lucy stuttered hysterically, but she couldn't even get the words out.

Erza rushed over to the nearest body and pressed her fingers to the man's throat. Her eyes widened with hope. "He's alive!" she called out. "He's still breathing! He's alive!"

"No way," Natsu said, running over to another person and doing the same. "This lady's okay too! And her kid!"

Lucy followed their example and searched for a pulse in the neck of a man slouched on the bench. Her breath caught when she felt a throb under her fingertips. "He is too! What do you think happened to them?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely something magic-related," Erza said, her eyes flashing dangerously. "When Master Makarov told me about the distress call in Clover, I never imagined it would be this severe."

"Wait," Natsu interrupted, "you _knew _about this?"

"No. I knew there was trouble in Clover, but I had no idea what expect. He didn't give me any specifics," Erza snapped. She looked around with a frown. "I don't know what caused this, but we better be careful. Cover your mouth and nose as best you can in case it's airborne."

Even as she said it, a mask appeared on her face. Natsu pulled his scaly scarf over his nose, and Lucy grabbed two bandannas from her pack for her and Happy. Thus prepared, they began wandering the network of streets in the city, pulling people out of the roads and searching for any clues as to how this phenomenon might have occurred.

"How long ago did Gramps get the call?" Natsu asked, his voice muffled by the scarf.

"About two days before I left. I've been traveling for three," Erza answered.

"Five days," Lucy murmured. "These people have been asleep for almost an entire week."

Happy, who had been flying around the perimeter looking for other conscious people, landed on the ground beside them with a grim demeanor. "I didn't find anybody," he dutifully reported, "but there is a tower on the far side of town, and there's a light coming from a few of the windows."

"Good job," Erza praised. "Keep flying, and we'll investigate."

Happy nodded and took off again.

Solemnly, the other three headed toward the direction that Happy indicated. They walked for a while until they came upon the tower he'd been referring to. It was made completely of stone and very tall, even taller than Lucy's tower, and there were five windows in the front side all glowing with a soft yellow light.

The three gaped at the tower with unreserved shock, because there was one little detail that Happy had forgotten to mention.

"It's carved out of a mountain!" Natsu exclaimed.

The tower did seemed to grow and form out of the side of the tallest of the mountains surrounding Clover. There didn't seem to be any identifiable path to the mountain, other than to directly ascend by scaling the craggy surface.

"Now what?" Lucy huffed.

"We need more information," Erza said ferociously, setting her shoulders but looking slightly green. "We're going to climb that mountain and see exactly what's going on here." She took one step forward, toward the tower on the mountain.

Suddenly the earth shifted beneath their feet like liquid, knocking them flat on their backs. The cobblestone streets rippled like a rug being aired out, and Lucy found herself ripped from her companions and thrown down the street in the opposite direction. She clawed at the ground until her fingernails were sore and bloody, but it did no good. "NATSU!" she screamed. "ERZA!"

She heard Natsu shout her name back, but it was faint and far away. With one last excruciating jolt, the ground settled and became solid again. Lucy struck the ground hard, knocking the air out of her lungs. She struggled to push herself to her feet, surveying her surroundings. Natsu and Erza were nowhere in sight; she was in narrow, dark alley. The stones at her feet were damp. "Help!" she called, listening as her voice echoed through the silent streets. "Natsu, Erza! Where are you?"

Lucy whirred around when she heard soft chuckling behind her and the clack of heels. She saw someone shift in the shadows of the alley. "Who are you?" Lucy cried. "Show yourself!"

"Bossy much?" said a snide woman's voice, but with another sharp clack she stepped into view. She had short white hair that swirled atop her head like a halo. Her dark eyes were sharp and slanted, her face pale and pointed. She wore a white dress made of feathers with a plunging neckline and wings in the back, as well as black tights with equally feathery shoes.

Lucy's heart raced and her breath hitched when she saw a glimmer of gold in the woman's hand, and she heard the soft tinkling of metal brushing together. The woman didn't have to tell Lucy who she was. Lucy already knew.

"Hello, Lucy Heartphilia," the woman smirked. "My name is Angel."


	52. Oracion Seis

**LII: Oracion Seis**

Happy scanned the sprawling city below with his large round eyes, looking for a sign of life. It seemed unlikely that he would find any. The city was as desolate and silent as a cemetery, littered with sleeping people left and right. The sight was rather disturbing; if Happy hadn't known any better, he would have assumed all the people were dead.

In his peripheral vision he saw a flicker of light to his right. Curiously he swooped down and landed softly on the street, quietly investigating the premises. Suddenly he heard a woman's shrill voice cry, "Noooo!" and someone tackled him, pressing him in her chest.

"You can't hurt him!" the woman shouted, tightening her grip. As enjoyable as the experience was, Happy was beginning to suffocate. "He's too cute and adorable! He's a kitty-cat!"

"Millianna, move!" said a male voice. "We don't know who he is! He could be dangerous!"

Happy was turning a deeper shade of blue.

"He's not dangerous! There's no way!" Millianna finally allowed him to breathe as she held him out for the man to behold. "Just look at that face, Shou! Look at it!"

Shou scoffed and shook his head. He was rather peculiar; he had yellow-blonde hair and tan skin, and he wore a long red coat with a big collar. Just under his lip he had a serpentine tattoo, and a long earring dangled from one earlobe. "It doesn't matter how cute he is. He could still be dangerous, if he's awake under the influence of Lullaby. He needs to be - "

Millianna cut him off. "Don't you dare say put down. If you want to hurt this kitty-cat, you have to go through me."

"I'm not dangerous," Happy piped up, startling Millianna enough to drop him. He felt on his butt with a thud, and winced. He jumped himself when he saw Millianna, for she was just as bizarre as Shou, if not more so. Two pointed cat ears poked out from her light brown hair, and she had red, whisker-like markings on her face. The bell around her neck jingled as she jumped up and down with excitement.

"He talks! Isn't that amazing, Shou? The kitty-cat talks!"

"What are you?" Shou snarled, glaring at Happy suspiciously. "Why are you here? How are you not asleep?"

"My name is Happy. I'm a cat," Happy answered. "Me and some of my friends just traveled here from Hosenka, and we're just as confused as you are. I was flying around, looking for someone else who was awake. What's going on?"

"We can't tell you here," Shou said mysteriously, looking around. "Where're your friends at?"

"They were going to the castle up on the mountain."

Shou gawked. "Are you crazy? D'you want to get us all killed?"

"Why? Tell me what's going on!" Happy demanded.

"Oh, he's yelling!" Millianna squealed, squirming around Happy like a fangirl. She poked at him with her finger. "What kind of cat are you anyway?"

"Be quiet, Millianna, please!" Shou snapped. He turned his attention back to Happy. "C'mon, I'll take you to our headquarters and you can tell us exactly what happened. Then we'll return the favor and try and save your friends."

Happy nodded, wary of some kind of trap as he followed the two strange people down the street and around the corner. They came across a run-down diner. Shou looked up and down the street before sneaking in through the back door, ushering Millianna and Happy in after him. He almost amputated Happy's tail in his haste to close and lock it again.

They were in a storage room filled with food and water. A single candle flickered in the center, casting everything in ephemeral, dancing beams of light. Two other men sat around it, staring bleakly into the flame.

One was hulking and muscular, with a white turban, black eye-patch, and artificial metal jaw obscuring a good portion of his face. The other had a strange, block appearance. He wore sunglasses and a hat over his black hair, as well as a fancy blue suit and white scarf.

"That's Wally," Shou introduced, pointing to the blocky man. "The other guy's Simon. Guys, this is Happy. We found him wandering around outside." Shou sat down and crossed his arms. "Alright, tell us exactly what happened."

"Should we really be doing this when my friends are in danger?" Happy objected.

"This is the only way. Start talking, cat."

"Be nice to the kitty-cat!" Millianna chastised.

Happy heaved a sigh and began his story, skipping to the part where they were traveling through the woods and met Erza. When he said her name, a noticeable difference rippled through his audience.

"Did you say _Erza_?" Shou exclaimed when the story was over. "As in Erza Scarlet?"

"Yeah. Why, do you know her?"

Shou stood up. "Know her! I grew up with her! She's practically my sister."

"We all grew up under harsh conditions," Simon pitched in, his voice deep and mellow. "You see that tower up there on the mountain? It's the Tower of Heaven. We built it."

"Us, Erza, Jellal, and Oracion Seis." Wally spat out the last two words like a curse.

"Who's Jellal and Oracion Seis?"

"Oracion Seis is the name of this gang that's ransacked Clover. It's made up of six really powerful mages. They're the reason that everybody's asleep," Simon said. "It's headed by this guy named Brain, but he's partially possessed by an evil entity trapped in his staff, Klodoa. Brain put a curse on Jellal and trapped him up in the Tower. Right now Jellal's in an enchanted sleep like the rest of the town, and we have no idea what Brain's planning to do with him."

"We don't know how to break the spell either," Millianna put in, dismayed.

"Why weren't you affected by the spell?"

"Because Brain made sure that everyone working for him was immune to it," Shou explained. "When we escaped, he didn't get a chance to remove it. Jellal almost escaped with us, but Brain caught him and took him away."

"And Erza? When did she escape?"

"Before the Tower was finished," said Simon. "She was smart. We almost went with her when we were kids, but we got scared. She was the only one brave enough to go through with it, and by the time she realized that we chickened out, it was too late for her to come back for us."

"But now it's time to change that," Shou said with authority, looking determined. "If what you said is true, Happy, then your friends and Erza have probably already run into Oracion Seis. And if that's the case, we better hurry up and save them before something really bad happens. We're going to defeat Oracion Seis, free Jellal, and break this silence over Clover Town!"


	53. The Chase

_**Author's Note:** I just want to say that I love you guys! I can't believe this story has gotten over 400 reviews! If it wasn't for your steadfast encouragement, I don't think this story would have been nearly as progressive as it has been. So thank you all so much!_

_Also, as some of you may have noticed this story has a new cover image courtesy of _**Cavallo Alato**_. Unfortunately the original piece was too tall to fit so I had to crop it. If you'd all like to see the entire thing (and it really is quite an impressive work of fanart) visit her DA account at _**Equestrian Equine**_, and the title of the piece is _**Lucy, Lucy, Let Down Your Hair**_. I would give you the link, but links aren't allowed apparently..._

_I'd also like to apologize for the rushed feeling of this arc (which is, by the way, Sleeping Beauty). The story will become more evenly paced as it gets further on, but the introduction is so quick because Clover is already in turmoil when they arrive._

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><p><strong>LIII: The Chase<strong>

Natsu spat blood from his mouth, surveying his surroundings with careful eyes. His panting breath seemed loud in the silence of Clover. His ears twitched, trying desperately to pick up the sound of footsteps.

_Ah! There! _he thought, turning around just in time to block the oncoming assault. A series of kicks bounced off of his crossed arms, sending searing pain down the bone as he flew into a brick wall. Natsu winced, struggling to get up.

His opponent perched on the roof of the building in front of him, shaking his head. "Such a disappointment, Salamander," he said, absently scratching his beak-like nose. "I really expected better."

"You seem to know an awful lot about me," Natsu sneered, getting to his feet. "What's your name, huh? Who are you anyway?"

"The name's Racer. And I am the fastest man alive." With that, Racer shot off the roof of the building and kicked Natsu's chest before he had time to even dodge it. Natsu crashed into the already dented brick wall, this time flying directly through it and into the building. He gasped, struggling to get his breath back.

He heard Racer's raspy laughter from the debris. "Come on, Salamander! That all you got?"

Natsu saw a stir in the dust.

"_Fire Dragon's Roar_!" The entire building was engulfed in flame, dancing in the midst of the dust floating in the air. Natsu heard Racer scream and he gave a triumphant smile.

"Missed me."

Natsu wheeled around as Racer brought back a fist, punching him in the jaw with enough force to send him flying. "That's a nice power you got there," Racer praised as Natsu struggled to stand. He gestured around the burning building. "Kind of destructive though, don't you think?"

Suddenly there was a flash, and Racer was hit by a number of flat, rectangular projectiles. He screamed as the sharp edges cut his face, and scowled at the attacker. Natsu blinked and saw a man emerge from the dust, blonde, tan, and holding a deck of cards in his hand. Happy trotted beside him, looking worried.

"Happy!" Natsu said.

"Natsu!" Happy cried. "You're okay!"

"...Ish," said the blonde man.

"Okayish," Happy agreed.

Natsu blinked. "Who are you?"

"Shou. Nice to meet you, Natsu. Oh, and sorry about this, but you're not really in any condition to fight." Shou held up a card, which Natsu saw was blank. "_Card Dimension_!"

Natsu felt a slight tugging sensation, and suddenly he was trapped inside the blank card, unable to get out. "Hey!" he cried, waving his arms frantically. "Let me out of here!"

Shou handed Happy the card. "Keep that safe, 'kay?"

"So, you finally decided to come out of your hidey-hole, Shou," Racer taunted, crossing his arms and glaring at his ex-comrade. "What changed your mind?"

Shou gave one crooked, half-crazed smile. "Erza's back."

Racer tipped back his head and laughed. Shou's smile slipped from his face, replaced by a grimace. "You think that means anything?" Racer gasped. "After seeing what Brain can do, what Jellal is capable of, Erza Scarlet is nothing! It was foolish to ever consider following her little rebellion. I'm glad I stayed behind and waited for something better."

"Shut up!" Shou shouted, looking sincerely angry. He threw the cards again and they multiplied in the air, but Racer had already disappeared. He sprawled forward when Racer shot out behind him, trampling him, before streaking away into the dust. Shou spat blood from his mouth, fumbling for his cards. "You don't know what Erza-nee's done! She's powerful! She's an S-Class mage! A _real _S-Class mage, not scum like you! You're just saying all that stuff about her because she was the only one brave enough to follow through with her plan! She was the only one _fast _enough!"

Racer shot into view, looking livid. Shou wasted no time; he took out a blank card. "_Card Dimension_!" he shouted, just as Racer kicked him in the face. Racer screamed as he was sucked into the white card, unable to use his speed.

Shou wiped blood from his chin, smirking down at the card. "I've watched you, Racer. I know what gets under your skin." He tucked Racer's card in his sleeve and went over to Natsu, who was seething.

"Let me the hell out of here!" Natsu demanded.

Shou waved a hand over the surface of the card, and Natsu was free. He picked the blank card off of the ground and shuffled that one in his deck. "Like I said, sorry."

"Whatever," Natsu mumbled, torn between gratitude and humiliation.

Shou let out a hiss and took Racer out of his sleeve. The figure in the card had drawn a blade that was dripping with blood. Shou's blood. "You think you're so smart," Racer hissed. "You never stopped to think that if you know my weaknesses, I know yours. Your cards basically shrink and imprison me, but they can't stop my knife from cutting you just as if it were real."

"What, are you going to slice and dice me to death?" Shou scoffed. He gingerly pinched the card between his thumb and forefinger, holding it away from his body. "Good luck."

Racer grinned and ripped open his jacket. There, strapped to his chest, was a bomb.

Shou's eyes widened in terror.

"Good luck," Racer sneered, and he pressed the detonator.

"Move, Shou!" Natsu shoved the blonde out of the way just before the bomb exploded. He turned and faced the full force of the flames, taking a deep breath. The yellow flames were mild and strangely salty on his tongue. He inhaled it all, enjoying the warm embers in his belly, feeling rejuvenated and ready for battle.

Shou stared at him, dumbfounded. "Wh-what are you?"

"I'm Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragonslayer," Natsu said proudly. He looked around, frowning. "Where's the Racer guy?"

Happy and Shou searched for the card with Racer in it too, but there was none to be found. There was only ash in the wind and the echo of a faint whisper.

_My prayer...to be...faster than anyone..._


	54. Wings Of An Angel

**Author's Note:** _This chapter is slightly revised for clarification, but nothing in the overall plot has been altered._

* * *

><p><strong>LIV: Wings Of An Angel<strong>

Lucy's keys were slippery in her hand. Who did she have? Lyra, Hologorium, Plue, Cancer...no, none of those were battle keys; none of them would defeat Angel.

Leo?

A lion was brave. A lion was fierce. A lion was dangerous.

Lucy needed a lion.

But she was still reluctant to summon him. This spirit had killed its last holder. She had no idea what to expect. Would he be mean? Would he listen to her? What if he attacked her instead of Angel?

"Are we going to fight," Angel said smoothly, "or are you just going to surrender now?"

Lucy's eyes unwillingly flicked to the keyring in Angel's hand. She counted four keys. Lucy had five, but she was willing to bet that Angel's keys were more suited for battle, particularly since three of the four were golden Zodiac keys. Her fingers itched.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, opting to stall while she thought of a plan.

Angel shrugged. "I do my research. We've been watching you and your friends scurry around this city for a while. Also," she added, "news travels fast. There were whispers of another Celestial Spirit mage, while I should have been the last. I knew that Queen Layla Heartphilia had once been of the Hart clan, and had also been a Celestial mage. She had a daughter, the Rapunzel of Fiore, Princess Lucy Heartphilia. I put two and two together after I saw your keys." With this she smiled and peered at the keys in question. "You have quite the little collection started. Two Zodiac keys already."

"That's enough," Lucy said, placing her hand over her keys protectively.

"Oh?" Angel replied, quirking one thin eyebrow. "Are you ready to play now, princess?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lucy drew a key. "_Open the Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!_"

Cancer popped into view, clicking his scissors and looking determined. Angel blinked and grinned, then giggled incessantly. "Th-that's your first choice? A _hair-stylist_?"

Lucy scowled. "Go get her, Cancer!"

"My pleasure, ebi!"

Angel suddenly grew somber. "Tsk, tsk, Princess Lucy, where are your manners? Your etiquette?" She drew a golden key from her keyring. "_Open the Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!_"

A handsome, tan man with a giant mechanical scorpion's tail popped into view, looking around curiously. He had short hair that was half white, half red, and the beginnings of a goatee on his chin. His torso was bare all but for the flowery red and gold collar around his neck; besides that he wore black shorts and with a red, curtain-like material over them that was held up by a black belt with the Scorpio symbol on it.

"Where are we?" he inquired, looking around aimlessly.

"That's not important," Angel snapped. She pointed at Cancer and Lucy. "Destroy them."

"Alright." Scorpio pointed his giant mechanical tail at them like a gun, getting on all fours like a real scorpion. Lucy saw that the tail had the word _Antares_ written on the side. "Sorry about this, you guys," he said.

Lucy was blinded by bits of sand, pelting at her like little bees. Cancer dutifully stationed himself in front of her, clicking away with his scissors and trying to deflect the sand. "I'll protect you, ebi!" he declared as the sand stripped away his shell-like skin. She felt tears prick her eyes, and knew they weren't solely from the harsh, dry sediment.

Cancer clicked his scissors in rapid succession, beating away the sand skillfully. Lucy shielded her eyes as he headed toward the direct source; the sand burrowed into her exposed skin and ripped her tattered clothes, leaving her raw and dusty.

The sand cleared, and Lucy blinked away gritty particles to see the outcome. She gasped in horror and covered her mouth with her hands. "Cancer!"

The Spirit was a mangled heap at Angel's feet, his legs twisted and bent in different directions, his skin ripped away by the mini-sandstorm. "Sorry, ebi," he whispered as he disintegrated into dust, heading back into the Celestial Spirit World.

"Cancer!" Lucy cried again, this time furious. She turned on Angel. "You're going to pay for that! There was no reason for Scorpio to mutilate him!"

Angel smiled. "That wasn't Scorpio."

Lucy reeled and crumpled to the ground as she was struck by an oncoming force. Her head hit the pavement with a _crack!_ and when her vision cleared she looked up...

...she saw herself baring down on her.

Only this Lucy was whole and unscathed, looking smug as she pressed the heel of her boot onto her counterpart's neck. Real Lucy wheezed as Fake Lucy applied just enough pressure to cut off her air supply. Lights burst in front of her eyes, clouding her vision once more. The back of her head throbbed in unison with her rapid pulse.

"Gemini," Angel cooed, "that's quite enough."

Fake Lucy removed her foot. Real Lucy gasped, coughing and spitting as she struggled to regulate her breathing.

"I wanted to show you, Princess Lucy, what a _real _Celestial Spirit mage can do," Angel jeered, pulling out her only silver key. "_Open the Gate to The Chisel! Caelum!_"

And to Lucy's astonishment, another Spirit popped into view. It seemed to be a mechanical round creature devoid of life, but it was a Spirit nonetheless. Two Spirits at once!

"Gemini, Caelum, give her a taste of what you can do," Angel said. Lucy shrank as the two Celestial Spirits converged on her, Fake Lucy wielding Caelum like a weapon. She raised her arm to strike.

Lucy grabbed Leo's key and pointed it at her fake self. "_Open the Gate to the Lion! Leo!_"

A lion did not appear. Leo was a man with a long, spiky mane of hair and square sunglasses. He wore a suit and tie, and a ring on one of his hands. He looked absolutely shocked to be summoned, and turned to see who had summoned him. He turned pale when his gaze fell on Lucy. Then the weirdest thing happened.

"Mother?" Leo whispered.

Before Lucy could answer, Angel's shrill laughter rang throughout the alley. "Leo! Oh, that's perfect!" she said. Leo's eyes hardened as he slowly turned to look at her. Once Angel regained her composure, she added, "I should thank you, Leo. You saved me a lot of time and effort with that Karin woman. Think of how drawn out that battle would have been, if she'd been able to summon? No, thanks to you, I was able to kill her quickly."

Leo said nothing.

"Um, L-Leo," Lucy began nervously, "I know we haven't made a contract but - "

Leo raised a hand, cutting her off. "What's your name?"

"Lucy."

"Lucy." Leo tried the name out on his tongue, practically sighing it. "Well, Lucy, there's no need for you to worry about that now. We'll take care of all that later. But you have to promise me one thing."

"What?"

"When we defeat her, take her keys," Leo said. "They don't deserve the kind of treatment she's put them through."

Lucy felt her heart soften a bit for this mysterious Spirit, remembering Hibiki's similar request. "Don't worry," she said, "I've already made that promise."

Leo nodded and took a fighting stance. Lucy had the feeling he knew exactly who she'd made her other promise to.

"How heartwarming," Angel said sarcastically. She turned to Fake Lucy. "Gemini, Caelum, take them down."

Lucy had to shield her eyes from the brilliant, blinding light that Leo shot from his hands. She heard the sounds of battle but she could see nothing. Struggling, she stood up and wrapped a hand around her whip. Angel. Where was Angel?

The light faded, and Leo dodged an attack from Gemini. He swiftly grabbed Caelum and wrenched it out of Fake Lucy's grasp, kicking her out of the way before he swung his arms in a wide arc and smashed the strange Spirit into a the brick wall of the alley. The Chisel buzzed angrily and lunged at Leo, spearing him through the shoulder. Metal parts clattered on the concrete behind it. Leo fell and scurried away from Caelum's second attack. Instead the Chisel sank into the ground.

Gemini, still disguised as Lucy, tackled Leo from behind and dug her fingers into his injured shoulder. The Lion let out an agonized scream. He flipped her over his shoulder. She landed on top of Caelum with a grotesque crunch. Lucy involuntarily winced.

Angel was watching the battle with a cruel amusement. Lucy narrowed her eyes at the other Celestial mage and skirted around the wrestling match that was taking place between her counterpart and Leo. Angel was utterly absorbed; she did not notice Lucy coming until the blonde had stuck her with her whip. Angel reeled, growling as she clawed at her wound.

"Call them off!" Lucy demanded, raising her whip. "I don't want to fight you. We are the only two Celestial Spirit mages left in Fiore! We shouldn't fight. We should learn from each other."

"Naive little girl," Angel scowled. "What could I possibly learn from you? As far as I am concerned, you are nothing more than competition. And I eliminate all of my competition."

Leo called her name. Lucy turned, distracted, and Angel chose that time to lunge. She clawed at Lucy with her nails and kicked at her with her boots. Lucy struck out with her fist and caught Angel in the ribcage, knocking the wind out of the other woman. She threw Angel off of her just before Leo yelled at her again to duck. She turned in time to see him twist the ring on his finger and raise a hand at Gemini, who was wielding Caelum again. Then a light like a thousand suns burst through the alley. A wave of heat threw her into a wall. It felt like her head split open, and she blacked out for a second.

When she came to, blood was dripping into her eyes and her ears were ringing. The light was fading, revealing the two Spirits. Leo gripped his shoulder, which was spurting blood, and Fake Lucy clutched her abdomen. Caelum was nowhere to be found.

Leo turned to Lucy and gave her one heartbreaking smile. "Save her" were the only words he uttered before disappearing into the Celestial Spirit World. Fake Lucy split into two tiny green alien-like beings before doing the same. Lucy wondered who "she" was.

Lucy's vision blurred as she searched for Angel. The other Celestial Mage was splayed upon the ground, surrounded by bloodstains. Lucy looked at the wall and discovered that she had lost an exceptional amount of blood as well. She gently touched the back of her head. When she pulled back her hand, it was covered with sticky red liquid.

She slowly crawled over to Angel, dragging her whip behind her like a tail. Angel seemed to be unconscious; all the blood was coming from a wound in her back, where something had sliced the flesh open. Feathers drifted in the wind, the only remains of her makeshift wings.

Lucy numbly reached for the four keys. Suddenly there were eight of them, and then twelve, and then four again. Just as she extracted the keyring, Angel gasped and clasped Lucy's hand with the iron grip of the dying. Lucy stared at her fellow Celestial mage blankly, struggling to keep herself conscious. Neither of them were in any condition to fight. Surely Angel didn't want to continue?

"My prayer..." the woman sighed, "...to fade into the sky...like an angel..."

Her grip slackened, and her head fell back onto the cobblestones. Caelum, the only silver key that Angel possessed, faded away in Lucy's hand. Lucy hooked the three Zodiac keys to her own keyring. Gemini, Scorpio, and Aries. _I've saved her_, Lucy thought to Leo. She didn't know if he could hear her or not. She doubted it.

Just before oblivion took her, Lucy couldn't help but think that the blood around Angel kind of looked like wings.


	55. Brotherhood

**LV: Brotherhood**

Erza didn't like being back in Clover.

When Makarov told her of the assignment, she'd accepted simply out of respect and love for the old man. He was still busy repairing Magnolia and searching for Laxus. Though his grandson was a fugitive, that didn't mean Makarov had stopped caring for him. Rumors were circulating about Ivan Dreyar's Raven Tail; rumors that the master didn't like, rumors that made him nervous. He fretted for Laxus's safety. The lacrima implanted in the faux Lightning Dragonslayer were powerful. Ivan had stolen them once; there was no doubt that he would do whatever it took to retrieve them again.

For this reason, Erza couldn't say no. She didn't regret accepting the job - Oracion Seis were _her _inner demons, after all - but she still hated being back in the city she'd escaped, where she'd betrayed her friends, where she had lost everything and been forced to start anew. Erza thought that she could leave it all behind: her friends, her memories, her past altogether. But slowly they were converging on her, undetectable, and now she had to face them once and for all.

Her only regret was that she brought Lucy and Natsu into it. Though they were complete strangers, she still felt somewhat responsible for them. She cared for them. She wanted them to be safe.

Hoteye stood before her, a round man with blocky facial features and swirling orange hair. He carried his ever-present account book with him. The man was obsessed with money; after his parents died, he and his younger brother, Wally, lived on cultivating potatoes until they were taken for the Tower of Heaven construction. It was his job to make sure that Wally had enough to eat, had clothes to wear and a shelter to live under. Money made all of that happen. _His need became greed_, Erza thought to herself. This creature she saw now, _Hoteye _he called himself, was not the Richard she once knew.

"Erza Scarlet," he began, "you look well. I'm sure the world has treated you righteously after you left us in the dust. Enough for you to afford that fancy armor, anyway."

Erza drew her sword, spreading her feet apart. "What's going on, Richard? Why have you separated me from my friends?"

"Not Richard," he reminded. "Hoteye. And separating you from your - what did you call them? - oh, yes, your _friends_ was only a lucrative move to make. Do not think that your betrayal has left us blind to your accomplishments. You're very renowned throughout Fiore for your skills as a mage, _Titania_."

Erza winced at the somehow profane use of her title. She was defenseless from Hoteye's acidic verbal assaults. There was no armor with which shield herself; they were all truths, and they struck her to her core. Now Erza knew she could only apologize.

"Richard - Hoteye - I'm sorry. It was not my intention to leave anyone behind during the revolt, believe me. I wanted to go back for you all but...but I just couldn't. I was too much of a coward to go back. I'm so, so sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change anything," Hoteye hissed. He raised a hand and Erza felt the ground liquify under her feet; she exquipped into her Black Wing Armor and rose into the sky, slashing her sword at the waves of earth that surged toward her. She landed lithely on the roof of a building, her wings extended like a bat's.

"Erza!"

The woman in question looked down at the molten ground and gasped. Running toward her was someone she'd never thought she'd see again: Simon. Simon, who had been her best friend next to Jellal. Simon, whose face was almost obliterated because of her obstinency.

"Simon!" she cried.

"Simon," Hoteye growled. The ground lunged at the massive man. Erza screamed and swooped down, slashing at the sea of cobblestones with her sword. She exquipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor, summoning her 200 swords.

"_Circle Sword!_" she shouted. "Dance, my blades!" The blades whizzed through the air and sliced through the liquid ground. Hoteye smiled evilly and the waves parted, revealing Simon curled into a ball, trying to protect himself from the earth. Erza blanched as the tips of her own blades sailed toward him. "No!"

She managed to redirect them at last moment. They scattered all around before disappearing along with her Heaven's Wheel Armor, which was replaced with her trademark Heart Kruiz outfit. She ran over to Simon, the ground solid again.

"Simon - " she began, but she stopped when his big hand wrapped around her throat. Erza's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't even stopped to consider that, like Hoteye, he might have been an enemy, still under Brain's control.

Simon swept her long hair over her shoulder in a familiar affectionate way. "Hello, Erza. Long time no see, huh?"

Erza realized that Hoteye was standing a distance from them, looking dazed. He was staring at something behind them. Erza turned and saw Wally racing up the alley. Even Simon looked shocked.

"Wally!" he said. "Where's Millianna?"

"I left her to tend to the girl, Lucy," Wally said. "We found her passed out in an alley with Angel. There was a lot of blood, and Angel..." Wally trailed off. Erza felt her blood run cold. Lucy didn't seem like the kind who was capable of killing. Perhaps she'd been mistaken.

Wally turned to his brother, who was still blank. "You guys go on," he said, staring down his older brother. "I'll handle Richard."

"But Wally - " Erza began.

"No, Erza," Wally interrupted. "This is a battle between brothers."

Erza opened her mouth to say something else, but closed it and nodded. She helped Simon up and, sparing a weary glance at Hoteye, sprinted through the streets alongside him. As they passed him, Erza heard Hoteye whisper, "My prayer...it has come true."

She didn't hear any sounds of battle behind her.

"Simon," she gasped, "what's going on? Where are we running to?"

Simon seemed reluctant, but he told her of everything that had transpired: about the completion of the Tower of Heaven, about his escape with Millianna, Wally, and Shou, about Jellal's capture and imprisonment, about the Lullaby, and finally about Happy's arrival and how the others were spread throughout the city, assisting the battle.

He didn't have to answer the second question after his explanation was over. Their objective was simple: take down Brain and rescue Jellal and the rest of Clover. Erza sprinted faster toward the source of her nightmares and her harsh reality.

Erza sprinted toward the Tower of Heaven to save the past she thought she'd left behind.


	56. Slow Poison

_**Author's Note:** A treat, because I'm feeling festive. Happy Independence Day to all you Americans and anyone else who cares!_

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><p><strong>LVI: Slow Poison<strong>

Natsu, Shou, and Happy arrived at foot of the mountain at the same time Erza and Simon did. The five were shocked to see the other party at first; there were many exclamations.

"Erza!" Natsu cried.

"Natsu!" Erza said in return. Her jaw dropped and she added, "Shou!"

"Erza-nee! Simon!"

"Happy!" This was the cat himself, who was ignored.

After a momentary pause in which all present caught their breath, they began to scale the mountain without another word. Pleasantries could be exchanged later; right now, the situation was too dire for such formalities.

An ominous force was gathering around the Tower of Heaven even as they climbed. It swirled ahead like an oppressing thundercloud, gathering at the top of the Tower. Natsu was particularly sensitive to its pressure; it hurt his ears and gave him a headache.

Suddenly, they heard a roar.

"What was that...?" Shou squeaked, but his voice was barely heard over the echoes of the howling beast. Natsu saw the tip of a huge serpentine head glittering with violet-and-ivory scales. His heart stopped.

_Dragon_.

But as the beast slithered off the face of the cliff, Natsu noted with overwhelming disappointment that it was not a dragon. It wasn't big enough, and it didn't have wings or legs. It did fly, but that was because it was a magic snake, something like a basilisk. But certainly no dragon.

He saw Erza's eyes widen. "When did Cuberos get so big...?"

"You've been gone a long time, Erza-nee," Shou said, gulping as they watched the snake, Cuberos, circle above. "Things have changed."

There was a man riding Cuberos. He had reddish-brown spiky hair and snake-like features of his own. Simon leaned over and told Natsu, "That's Cobra. He's a Poison Dragonslayer."

Natsu repeated the word, narrowing his eyes. There were a lot more Dragonslayers than he thought. First Gajeel - Laxus didn't count since he was an alleged "second generation" - and now this guy. Though, Igneel had never told Natsu about a Poison Dragon. Perhaps Cobra was more like Laxus.

"Here she comes!" Shou warned.

Cuberos swooped down and snapped at them, nearly taking off Natsu's arm with her great jaws. Her tail smacked against the cliff and sent fist-sized rocks tumbling onto them, quaked their handholds. "She's trying to knock us off!"

Natsu ducked as Cuberos's tail nearly crushed him. He heard Erza scream and watched as she lost her grip on the rock, and fell...

fell...

fell...

...all the way down the way down the side of the mountain to the ground below. "_ERZA!_" Simon, Shou, and Natsu all cried in unison, each with an anguished look upon their face. They were forced to duck out of the way as Cuberos assaulted them again. Natsu saw the flash of white teeth and felt Simon pull him out of the way just in time.

"She's poisonous!" he cautioned.

Out of the corner of his eye Natsu saw a flash of blue and a streak of scarlet. He broke into a delighted smile and pointed. "Happy! Erza!"

Happy hauled Erza through the air, spinning and maneuvering to avoid Cuberos's deadly offenses. Erza's armor was as deadly as night, her sword like a line of shadow. Happy released her and she unfurled wings like a bat, slashing at Curberos's tail before gliding back to the mountain. She prepared to launch herself again, but Natsu held her back with his arm.

"You go on!" he said, glaring at Cobra as he laughed on Cuberos's back. "I've got this! You go save Jellal!" Cobra was an alleged Dragonslayer; this was personal.

Erza blinked and look touched for a moment, then she gave him a stern nod and continued to scramble up the side of the mountain beside Shou and Simon. Natsu looked at Happy, who was stubbornly stationed by his side. "Don't even think about it," the cat warned. "I'm staying with you, Natsu, no matter what."

Natsu grinned at his friend and turned his attention back to Cobra and Cuberos, who were pursuing Erza, Shou, and Simon. "Hey!" he shouted, belching fire at the Poison Dragonslayer and his serpentine steed. "Down here, snake breath!"

Cobra grinned at him viciously as Cuberos dodged the fire. The great snake swooped down on Natsu and Happy, gnashing her sharp, venomous teeth. Happy grabbed Natsu and dragged him out of the way just as the snake whipped the cliff with her tail.

"_Fire Dragon's Ro_ - " Natsu began as he was in midair, but he was cut off by a swift flick of Cuberos's head that rammed into Happy and sent them veering away from the cliff.

"Don't even think about it, Salamander," Cobra sneered.

Happy flew forward toward the cliff, but Cuberos blocked him.

"Need to be near the mountain, don't you, cat?" Cobra said. "That way you won't fall to your death when your magic runs out."

"H-how did you - ?"

Cobra smirked and tapped his temple. "Let's just say I have really good hearing."

_He can read minds!_

"Not quite," Cobra said. "My hearing's just that good. Better than your's, Salamander. One of the many perks of being a second-generation."

Natsu narrowed his eyes. "You're a fake like Laxus."

"Not fake. Just upgraded." Cobra grinned and crossed his arms. "Enough of this chit-chat. _Poison Dragon's Roar!_"

Happy swooped sickeningly to avoid Cobra's deadly attack. Natsu gagged as a river of black poison coursed from Cobra, tainting the air with it's thick, oily scent. It was the kind of attack that killed.

"_Fire Dragon's Roar!_"

But Cobra had already dodged, anticipating Natsu's counterattack, and Happy cried out as Cuberos's tail smacked him into the mountain. Natsu winced and scrambled for handholds, grabbing his unconscious friend by the arm to keep him from falling to his doom. "Sorry," he whispered, and carefully tossed Happy onto a protruding rock out of harm's way.

Natsu dauntlessly released the mountain as Cuberos came charging at him again. He grabbed her tail at last minute, hoisting himself onto her back. Cuberos, like Happy, didn't trigger his motion sickness.

He flattened himself to her sharp scales as Cobra attacked again, his tentacles of poison coming at him from all directions. Natsu burned it away with another fiery roar, but Cobra suddenly swooped in and grabbed him by the shoulders, flipping him over his head and shoving him off of Cuberos.

Natsu let out a shrill howl as he plummeted down the side of the mountain. He watched Cobra cover his ears and let out an agonized screech of his own, then topple off of Cuberos himself. The snake was not expecting this and could not retrieve him in time. Together, the two Dragonslayers fell to the hard earth below.

In his mind, Natsu heard a prayer. _All I wanted...was to hear the voice of my one friend...Cuberos_.

Listening to Cobra's last thoughts filled Natsu with sorrow. He wondered if the Poison Dragonslayer could hear this thoughts, feel his panic. As the ground came up to meet them, he closed his eyes and bleakly accepted his fate. _At least the others are okay_.

The last thing he heard was Lucy screaming his name.


	57. The Girl In The Snake

_**Author's Note:** So this is kind of a fairy tale within a fairy tale. There's a Chinese legend called _Legend of the White Snake_, and one adaption of it is these two spirits who fall in love are banished to the human realm. The man becomes a human and the woman a white snake. He finds the snake and rescues it. When the two of them die they meet again in the next life. I thought it was a touching story and kind of suited Kinana and Cobra, so it's sort of alluded to in here_.

* * *

><p><strong>LVII: The Girl In The Snake<strong>

"NATSU!"

Lucy sprinted forward as she watched her friend fall off of the snake and down the mountain, ignoring Millianna's cautionary words. Her head throbbed and every part of her ached, but Natsu was_ falling off the side of a mountain_! This was not the time for petty complaints.

Without thinking, she groped for her keys and chose a random one, waiting for the words to travel through her body and arrive on her tongue. "_Open the Gate of the Ram! Aries!_"

A innocent-looking woman in soft, woolen clothing and fluffy pink hair appeared into view, brown horns curling over the side of her head. Lucy had time only to assess this before she frantically waved at Natsu and gave an unsatisfactory order: "Do something!"

Aries, who had been looking rather baffled, flinched at the sound of Lucy's harsh command and shot an abundance of cottony fluff at the ground only seconds before Natsu landed with a gentle _poof!_ Lucy raced forward and dug through the fluff until she found him, dazed and sputtering, trying to get fuzz out of his mouth. He seemed absolutely astounded to see her. "Lucy?"

"Natsu!" The blonde tackled him and they landed together in the fluff. The density of it shut out all sound and light from the outside, excluding them in their own little world for a moment in time. She blinked the soft fibers out of her eyes and smiled down at him radiantly, relieved beyond all belief that he was okay.

Natsu blinked at her, frowning, and gently touched her face. His thumb came back wet with a salty tear. "Lucy?"

Suddenly Millianna clawed her way through to them, yanking Lucy out of the fluff. "Your head is going to start bleeding again!" she chastised. Lucy nodded and quickly pulled herself together while the cat-girl helped Natsu out of Aries's cloud of cotton.

Lucy turned to Aries, who was huddled into herself and biting her lip nervously. Feeling guilty about her earlier tone, Lucy slowly made her way to the shy Spirit. "Hi. I'm, um, sorry about yelling at you earlier...probably not the best way to introduce myself." She stuck out a hand for Aries to shake, but the Ram only winced as though she expected to be struck. "I'm Lucy. I'm your new key-holder; that is, if you want to make a contract with me. If not, I can take you where ever you want to go, whoever you want to go to, and I can leave you there."

"Wh-where is Angel?" Aries murmured, looking around for her previous master.

Lucy ducked her head. "She's not...I...she's dead."

"Oh." Aries obviously didn't know how to react to this news, so she changed the subject. "I'll stay with you, Lucy. I don't have anywhere else to go, so I'll stay with you."

"Great," Lucy said with a smile. She looked over her shoulder at Natsu and Millianna, who were greeting each other as well. "Would you mind if I formed a contract with you later...? Things are kind of hectic right now."

"Not at all," Aries said, and she began to fade.

"Thank you for saving my friend!" Lucy said hurriedly, before the Spirit disappeared completely. She thought she heard a dainty chuckle in return, but she couldn't be sure.

"Hey! Lucy!"

Lucy wheeled around at the sound of Natsu's voice, then allowed her gaze to wander in the direction he was pointing. There, up in the sky, a giant purple snake was writhing. It began to shrink and morph before her eyes, until finally it was a clothless girl falling through the air.

A flash of blue streaked through the sky, and Happy caught the girl and gently brought her down to safety. Lucy was running over just as Natsu was placing a blanket from his pack over the girl's exposed body. Even as she ran, she felt lightheaded. _I lost a lot of blood_.

Millianna and Natsu crouched beside the girl, muttering over her. She had a plump features and a pleasant face framed by short black hair. Lucy glanced up at the sky, where the girl had been a huge snake just seconds before. "What's going on?"

"No idea," Natsu said.

Just then, the girl stirred. She opened her big brown eyes and blinked up at them, looking puzzled. "Wh-where am I?"

"Clover Town, just outside the Tower of Heaven," Natsu answered.

The girl frowned. "I don't remember anything. That means nothing to me."

"You don't remember _anything_?"

The girl shook her head. "Not at all. I don't even know my name. Who am I?"

"Come on, you have to remember something," Lucy said.

The snake-girl closed her eyes and concentrated. "I...I remember a voice. A hissing...I remember flying...and..." Tears dripped from her eyes and down her cheeks, dangling off of her little chin. "Sadness. I remember great sadness. Then it's all gone." She opened her eyes, looking utterly helpless. "What's going on? Who am I?"

Lucy patted the girl's back as she began to wail, her shoulders heaving with the force of her sobs. Natsu, Happy, and even Millianna looked grim. "I think we should stay here with her," the cat-girl suggested, jerking her chin at the victim of amnesia.

"But what about Erza and the others? We have to help them save Jellal!" Natsu objected.

"Ahoy!" The five turned and saw two blocky figures walking over to them. Millianna broke into a smile that made her look like an adorable kitten who's just discovered a ball of yarn.

"Wally! I was wondering what took you so long." She stood and surveyed the other, rounder man for a moment, until finally giving him a small smile too. "Richard."

"Hello, Millianna," the one named Richard said.

"Who are Richard and Wally?" Lucy whispered to Natsu.

He shrugged, but Happy answered. "Wally is with Shou's group, and Richard is his brother. He's part of Oracion Seis; or at least, that's what they told me. Maybe he's changed his mind."

Lucy made a mental note to keep an eye on Richard.

"Now," Richard began, "did someone say something about helping the others rescue Jellal?"

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, I did. We can't just sit around here and wait while they put themselves in danger. We need to go help them."

"He's right," Lucy agreed.

"You can barely move, Lucy, and that girl's in no condition to fight," Millianna pointed out.

"It's okay. Lucy and her friend can stay here while the rest of us help Shou," Wally said. "You should probably stay too, Millianna; your technique isn't very useful against multiple enemies, and Lucy could probably use some backup."

Millianna nodded.

"So," Natsu said, looking up at the Tower of Heaven, "how exactly are you guys getting us up there?"

Richard smiled and raised two fingers. "Oh, don't worry about that. Let's just say I have no trouble moving mountains."


	58. Midnight Sacrifice

**LVIII: Midnight Sacrifice**

Simon gave a slight groan as he grabbed Erza's hand and hoisted her onto the cliff, setting her down gently before helping Shou. Erza frowned at him for a moment, imagining that he was somehow hinting at her weight - she most certainly was _not _fat - but, seeing her expression, he explained. "Your armor makes you heavy."

Erza nodded, readily accepting this excuse, and peered over the edge of the cliff onto the battle commencing below. She gave Natsu silent encouragement and followed Simon and Shou to the accursed Tower of Heaven.

The thing was different than she remembered it, but that was because she escaped before its completion. Now that she was looking at it, she saw that it had nearly doubled in size since. Erza remembered all the years of pain and suffering it took to build the first half, all the deaths of the malnourished and abused children, how their bodies lie, trampled, under the foundation, how their spirits still haunted and chilled the air. She remembered tears, her tears, Shou's tears, everyone's tears. She remembered the searing pain of losing her eye and having it replaced with another, magical glass eye by Porlyusica, a mysterious friend of Master Makarov's who lived in the East Forest. She recalled how she had cried that day, but out of joy instead of sadness, and how her artificial eye did not cry with her. She had not wept since.

Then and there, Erza promised herself that she would burn the Tower of Heaven, the Tower of Tears, to the ground.

"What, exactly, is Brain doing to Jellal up there?" she inquired as they cautiously made their way to the spiralling column.

"Brain got a hold of an evil magic called Lullaby, which is what he used to put the city to sleep," Shou explained. "When played by a regular mage, that's all it does. When it's played by one possessed by the spirit of Zeref, it kills all who hear the music. We never stuck around long enough to find out anything else."

Erza shuddered when she heard the name Zeref. No one knew much about the ancient mage, except for that he was one of the foulest, most evil mages in all of Fiorian history. Traces of his malicious doings still tainted the land to this very day; Lullaby was a prime example.

"We have to find Brain and destroy Lullaby before that happens," Simon declared.

Shou stopped and gestured at something in the distance. "Look. We've got company."

Erza stopped and felt her blood run cold when she saw a slim man floating on a magic carpet, his chin resting on his chest in slumber, his black-and-white hair decorated with red beads, dressed in a black vest with white fur trim and yellow paints with black designs. "Midnight," she breathed. She remembered him from her Tower days; curled up on the floor, screaming, crying, begging for mercy, torturing small animals and eventually the other children so they, too, could feel his suffering. _As if we weren't suffering enough already_.

Midnight had always gone by Midnight for as long as Erza could remember. He'd never had a proper name like Richard or the rest of the children. People always referred to him as _that boy _until Jellal christened him Midnight since he would always sleep whenever he was not being tormented by whatever terrors infiltrated his psych. Midnight disappeared shortly after Erza arrived. She'd always thought that they'd killed him because he was so loud and counterproductive. Now she realized that he was the first of Brain's recruits for Oracion Seis.

"Should we just attack him right now?" Erza whispered.

"It won't matter. His magic deflects attacks, even when he's asleep," Simon informed her. "Our best bet is to go around him and hope that he doesn't wake up."

They all knew it wouldn't work. Quietly they crept in a little circle around the sleeping mage, holding their breath as though even that gentle sound would disrupt his slumber. Erza was mid-stride when she saw the flash of red as he open his eerie crimson eyes, and screamed in warning as she flew into Simon and Shou. They tumbled in a mangled heap nearly off the side of the mountain, but Simon managed to stop their departure before they were in danger.

Midnight slowly lifted his head to stare at them in his unnerving way, pursing his purple lips as he scrutinized them from his magic carpet. Then he gave them a small frown. "You woke me up."

The three did not know what to say to this, so they were silent.

Midnight continued, unperturbed. "You woke me up, so you might as well make it up to me by supplying some entertainment. Three against one; this ought to be a little fun. What do you say?"

Erza scowled and exquipped her sword. "We have no time for games. Step aside or I will have to cut you down."

Midnight extended his arms, smirking. "Come on then, Erza Scarlet. Cut me down."

Erza hesitated. This had _trap _written all over it. Only a complete buffoon would attack Midnight so obviously after he willingly let his guard down.

Simon shifted his weight beside her. "Go on to the Tower, Erza. Shou and I got this."

"What - ?"

"Go!" Simon roared. Erza nodded and began running, glancing warily at Midnight. But the mage seemed to be in a state of confusion, scowling around aimlessly, his eyes out of focus.

"I know your trick, Simon," Midnight said. "Darkness Magic. But it won't work."

Suddenly Erza froze and fell to the ground, writhing as her armor constricted itself around her and began to crush her bones. She let out a strangled noises and willed the armor to come off, but it would not exquip away. Blindly she tore at the clips and latches that held it together, but those were twisted shut. The armor compressed her chest until she could only breathe in short, painful gasps. The gauntlets bit into her skin and she felt blood run down her arms. It was an anguish she had never felt before, the sensation of being crushed by her own armor, her own protection. It was worse than losing her eye.

But she was stronger now.

"STOP!" Simon cried out, his low voice booming across the valley below, echoing in the darkness. Erza heard Midnight laugh, a shrill, sadistic sound that was like nails on chalkboard.

"Too late," he hissed. "There's no redeeming yourself now."

The armor twisted around Erza and she let out a agonized scream as her back arched off the ground. She couldn't help it. The armor was ripping her in half. This time tears did gather in her real eye, and she felt one fall down her cheek. She gritted her teeth. No. No, she would not weep. She was stronger than this.

Simon roared and Erza watched as he bolted toward Midnight at full speed. The evil mage on the carpet seemed momentarily shocked, and forgot Erza as he deflected the hulking man's physical offense. Simon flew back as though carried by an invisible force.

Right off the side of the mountain.

"SIMON!" Erza and Shou both shouted. Erza gritted her teeth and exquipped into a revealing elastic robe the color of lavender, letting out a sigh of relief as the pressure from her warped armor was released. Then she hauled herself off the ground and hurried over to Shou's side. Her eyes searched the abyss below, looking for that famous flash of blue that signified Happy's presence. Yes, yes, Happy would be there to save Simon just like he saved her. He had to be.

Knowing there was nothing she could do, Erza turned and prepared to face Midnight. He had been knocked off of his magic carpet and onto the dirty ground, where he was picking himself up and dusting himself off.

Erza exquipped her sword. "You're going to pay for that."

Midnight just gave her a cocky stare, which quickly dissolve into a frustrated frown. Erza offered him a knowing look. "This is my Robe of Yuen. It is made of a fabric resistant to magical attacks."

"Very well, then," Midnight said. He turned his gaze to Shou, but Erza was already in front of him, her sword raised to strike.

"Don't think I'll fall for the same trick twice!" she proclaimed, bringing the sword down. Midnight dodged her effortlessly, and then the angry strike after that, and the third one after that. He held out a hand and Erza flew back, crashing into the side of the mountain.

Shou threw his cards, but they only screeched to a stop around Midnight. He watched in horror as his own weapons turned and shot toward him, the razor-sharp edges flying faster than even he could make them. He only had time to throw his arms up before they bit into his skin, shredding his flesh like many knives. He winced as he lowered his arms, sprinkling the ground with his blood.

"Pitiful," Midnight scoffed, raising an arm. Shou flew back, landing inches from the edge of the cliff. He was suddenly pinned to the ground by his cards, which were unyielding to his struggles. Midnight slowly came forward, smiling. "I wonder how long it will take you beg for mercy. You were always a little crybaby, weren't you?"

"Please," Shou said, struggling in vain as Midnight came ever closer with that evil glint in his eyes. "Please, don't do this to me! Spare me!"

Midnight bared down upon him, sneering. "Pathetic," he spat.

Suddenly there was a battle cry that shook the mountain, and Midnight's eyes widened in horror. He turned and gazed at a beaten, bruised Erza, then at her bloodied blade. Searing pain shot through his back where she had cut him from his right shoulder to his left hip. His eyebrows came together in a frown, and then he opened his mouth and began to scream.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" he screeched at her, grasping her shoulders in his hands and shaking her. Erza ripped herself out of his clutches and pointed her long sword at him, fending him off with the sharp weapon and her steelly resolve.

"I have defeated you," Erza said evenly. "This blade is not magic, nor are my clothes. Your powers did not work against them, and your defenses were down. This was your weakness, Midnight: you relied too heavily on your power to do the work for you." As Midnight fell to his knees, clenching his fists in pain, she continued. "You could have easily blocked my attack had you been paying any attention. You were too focused on tormenting Shou to do so. Your arrogance and your sadism were your downfall."

She stepped past him and cut away the cards that were pinning Shou to the ground. Just as he was sitting up, she pressed the tip of her blade to his throat with a reproachful scowl. "Never ever beg for mercy like that again," Erza hissed. "It is shameful and cowardly."

Shou hung his head. "I'm sorry, Erza-nee."

Erza nodded and sheathed her sword, holding out a hand to help Shou off of the ground. "We still have Brain to face. Come on, let's go."

As she turned, Erza saw that Midnight had curled into a ball at her feet, holding his knees to his chest like he had when they were children. "All I wanted...was a quiet place to sleep..." he whispered, shivering in the cold air of the mountain. Then he closed his eyes.

"Sleep well, Midnight," Erza whispered respectfully. She hated to leave him on the mountain like this, but she had no choice. She bowed to the poor soul once before following Shou into the Tower of Heaven to finally fight the demon of her past and rescue her childhood friend.


	59. Pricking Fingers

**LIX: Pricking Fingers**

The Tower of Heaven had many floors and many cells, but Erza knew that Jellal and Brain would be at the top. Brain had always had a flare for the theatric and, besides, climbing all those stairs would take the most work.

Erza had no intention of climbing the stairs.

She and Shou stared up at the Tower with solemn expressions. Erza glanced at him and sighed, then turned and began walking toward the edge of the cliff. Shou blinked and did a double take. "Hey! Erza-nee, where're you going?"

"I'm sorry, Shou," Erza said, stopping at the edge of the cliff, "but this is where we part ways."

Shou blanched. "Wh-what are you talking about? You don't honestly expect me to defeat Brain by myself, do you? You're not giving up now!"

"Of course not," Erza snapped. She took a deep breath. The Robe of Yuen flapping around her thighs transformed into a cheetah-print outfit. She turned on her heel and poised on the balls of her feet, taking two rapiers from her belt. Taking one more deep breath, she took the first step forward and shot toward the Tower at full speed.

Shou barely had time to shout her name before she took a giant leap and ran up the side of the Tower as far as she could. When she felt gravity pulling her down, she stabbed the flawless obsidian surface with her rapiers. After a shower of colorful sparks, the sharp edges gained enough purchase and she hung about thirty feet off the ground, her feet hanging uselessly while she dangled by the swords.

"Erza!" Shou called.

Erza swallowed and found that she couldn't reply. She didn't know where her voice had gone. Every ounce of her being was devoted to hanging on to the hilts of her swords. "Come on," she growled to herself, and with a mighty tug pulled out one of the rapiers. She swung her feet forward and jumped up, using the momentum to bury the sword a little higher into the Tower. She did the same with the other sword.

Shou realized what she was doing and gaped.

Erza was using her swords to climb up the side of the Tower.

Already she was about half way. Her muscles protested with every move and her grip grew slippery as her body dripped in sweat, although the air was tainted with winter's chill, but she gradually moved faster and faster up the Tower.

Finally, after several grueling minutes of this, she made it to the second-to-top window and kicked it open, hoisting herself inside. She hissed and looked down at her hands, which were sticky and throbbing. Her fingers were dyed red with blood where she had skinned them on the Tower and pricked them on the decorative metal of her rapiers.

Erza wasted no more time. She bolted out of the room and up the last few stairs, taking just one more moment to brace herself before she burst into the top of the Tower.

It was a small round room with almost no furniture except for the metal slab in the center. Erza's gaze immediately focused there, where the only person in the room slept with his wrists, ankles, neck, and waist strapped to the cold surface. His blue hair obscured his face, but Erza could still tell that it was shadowed and haggard from lack of nutrition and some kind of torment. She could see the unusual brand running down his cheek, a tangle of vines over his eye. The man wore nothing but a pair of pants, so the hard lines of his muscles were thrown in sharp relief by the harsh shine cast by the light lacrima hanging from the ceiling. Erza frowned; in the defining light she could see the criss-cross of pale scars all through his torso identical to those she once had, the ones that Makarov's friend had healed for her. The marks of a disobedient Heaven Slave.

Erza took a step forward, and then another, and before she knew it she was by his side, her fingers making short streaks of scarlet on his cold, white skin. Hesitantly she brushed his hair aside and saw that he was in an uneasy slumber, the bruise-purple flesh of his eyelids flickering with nightmares.

"Jellal," she whispered. Suddenly her soft gaze became fierce and determined. A dagger appeared in her hand and carefully she wiggled the sharp edge under the leather strap that held his left hand captive. "Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here."

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

Erza wheeled around, exquipping a narrow sword into her hand. In the doorway stood a tan man in an extravagant outfit, with neat silver hair and the evil wooden staff, Klodoa, in his hand. Erza narrowed her eyes viciously. "Brain," she hissed.

"That's a nice outfit," Brain replied, glancing up and down at her Flight Armor. Erza scowled and exquipped into her brilliant Heaven's Wheel Armor. Brain chuckled as her circle of gleaming swords whirred in the air around him. "There's no need to get confrontational, Titania."

"_What have you done to him?_" Erza roared. Her words spun even faster, their flashing edges now dangerously close to Brain's skin. The smug smile slipped from his face, replaced with a sneer. With a flick of the staff in his hand, poisonous green Shades appeared at Erza's side and attempted to hold her down, but her swords slashed them into oblivion. Erza let out a furious snarl as she directed another sword at Brain, letting the blade dig into the flesh of his cheek. Brain howled and clutched his face, seething as blood gushed from between his fingers.

"You'll pay for that, bitch," he hissed.

"I asked you a question," Erza continued. "Answer me or I will cut more than your face."

"That's not a good idea," Brain replied, wincing as he wiped his face clean. "You wouldn't want to know the answer, and I promise you that cutting me up in order to get it is very dangerous." He gave her a look that Erza could not identify, something between malice, fear, and worry.

Erza's swords all pointed at him, poised to attack. She narrowed her eyes and nudged him with one. "Explain what you mean. I am in no mood for riddles."

"I can't," Brain growled. "Just leave. You've done enough damage already."

"Tell me!" Erza snapped.

Brain suddenly doubled over and clutched his head in agony. The staff with the skull upon it, Zeref's legendary Klodoa, fell with a clatter to the floor.

"You have no idea what you've done!" Brain howled. "Go! Run! Get out of here before you awaken him!"

Erza frowned as the room began to fill with a magical pressure that was different from Brain's, but somehow similar. "Awaken who?"

Brain let out a cry and fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony. A bitter wind began to circle the room. Erza tensed, keeping every sword pointed at him.

The wind stopped and the pressure settled.

Brain looked up and smiled at her, but Erza somehow knew that he was no longer Brain. His eyes were red, his skin bleached of color. Carefully he dusted himself off and stood, picking up Klodoa.

"Me. He was afraid you would awaken me, which you have. I am Zero." The man pointed the staff at Erza, sneering. "Awakening me is the worst mistake you will ever make."

Erza screamed as pure, dark energy seeped from the staff and hit her like a brick wall. She flew back and hit her head on the edge of the table where Jellal lay. Her swords fell beside her with a clatter, bent at odd angles. They disappeared into thin air. Erza gritted her teeth as she stood up again, gripping the table to keep the room from spinning. "Who are you?" she hissed.

"I am Zero, Brain's alter ego," Zero answered. "He had locked me up using the Oracion Seis's powers plus his own, but now that you've defeated them all, I am free. So I am a tad grateful." With a flick of his wrist, another wall of dark energy pushed Erza down. "Therefore, I'll tell you what you want to know. Before I kill you, that is."

Erza felt her heart race. She could not move under the binds of the Shades holding her down. Perhaps she could wring Zero for information and then find a way out of her sticky situation.

"What are you doing with Jellal?" she asked.

Zero's gaze went from Erza to his other captive. "He is a very privileged man," he said vaguely. "As I'm sure you know, the Tower of Heaven was constructed under the authority of the greatest mage in history."

Erza frowned. When she thought about the greatest mage in history, it was Master Makarov who came to mind; however, that was probably just a personal opinion.

"Zeref," Zero said with gusto. "When we constructed this tower, it was merely a ritualistic thing. We had no intentions of actually putting it to use, because none of us believed that Zeref would die. In our minds, he was immortal." Zero paused, and his face darkened. "However, Zeref did pass on. Mavis Vermilion killed him and died in the process."

Erza gasped. Mavis Vermilion was the Master's great-great-great-aunt. She was the one who had built Fairy Tail Castle and first founded Magnolia Town. Erza knew she'd died at a young age, but not in the battle against Zeref.

"But now we have discovered a way to bring Zeref back," Zero declared, clenching his fist in excitement. "Once every five hundred years, do you know what happens? Of course you don't. What happens is the Aetheron. It's a meteor shower; the largest in Fiore. People say that the Aetheron holds extraordinary powers. There have been accounts of people seeing their dead relatives, even. It is a very powerful phenomenon.

"This tower harnesses the power of the Aetheron and redirects it. With the right spell, one might even be able to do something preposterous...such as resurrect the dead." Zero gave Erza a chilling smile, letting the truth sink in.

"Y-you...you're going to bring Zeref back to life," she whispered.

"Exactly," Zero said. "But we need a body for his soul, don't we? One that is powerful enough for him and will not crumble under the pressure. Also a soul to replace the void that Zeref's leaves. That is where dear Jellal comes in."

"You're going to use Jellal's body to resurrect Zeref?" Erza cried shrilly, horrified. She struggled against the bonds that held her to no avail. They just grew tighter. Something Shou had said earlier infiltrated her mind. About Lullaby. "You're going to possess Jellal and use Lullaby to kill all these innocent people!"

"Exactly," Zero repeated, stooping to look into her frightened, angry eyes. "Now, unless you have anymore questions, I am going to go ahead and kill you. Any last words?"

"You're never going to touch him!" Erza screamed, viciously struggling with her bonds. She tried exquipping, but nothing happened. The Shades were somehow sapping away her magic. There was nothing she could do.

Zero stopped and considered her for a moment. "You know, it's almost a shame to kill you. You're so beautiful, and so powerful." The Shades roped around Erza's limbs and squeezed tight enough to cut off the circulation. Zero raised Klodoa and grinned. "I've got some time to kill. Let's make this fun, shall we?"

There was a flash of white, and suddenly Zero's hand was bleeding profusely. He turned with a sneer, but before he could do anything he had vanished. Erza blinked as a card floated down to the ground at her feet. She still could not move. She was still entangled in the Shades.

Shou balanced on the window sill, two decks of cards in his hands.

"What the hell is this?" Zero screeched. Dark energy poured from the card. Shou lithely leapt from the window and quickly made his way to Erza, looking less like a fearless warrior and more like a concerned friend.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Undo Jellal's bonds, hurry."

"No, I'm getting you first, Erza-nee." Shou sliced through the bonds with his cards. It took three times before Erza was completely free. Then he set to work on the straps holding Jellal's body in place on the metal slab. "We don't have much time. With a mage as powerful as that, my card won't hold him for long. And Erza," Shou added, giving her a stern look that was uncostumary, "don't ever do that to me again."

Erza nodded solumnly. "Forgive me."

They were interrupted by a flickering light from the window. Shou frowned and ran over to inspect it. His eyes widened in amazement. "Look! Erza, there's meteors in the sky!"

Erza's heart leapt into her throat. She couldn't resist; she had to see it for herself. She rushed over and bore witness to the fiery streamers falling from the night sky, only to sizzle away before they hit the ground. There was obviously something profusely magic about them; they were all different colors, from crimson and sunny orange and bright yellow to phosphorescent green and electric blue to deep violet and even some blinding white. Erza shuddered in her armor. "Come on, Shou! We need to get Jellal free, now!"

From behind them there came a cackle of laughter. "Too late!"

Erza and Shou wheeled around. There, in the center of the room next to Jellal, was Zeref's enchanted staff, Klodoa. It's eyes glowed with life and its skull mouth moved with words. Erza noticed that above them, above Jellal, the ceiling began to glow a gentle, frosty blue.

"The Tower has already been activated," Klodoa hissed.

And Jellal began to scream.


	60. Aetheron

**Author's Note: **_Chapter 60! Woot woot! At this point we're probably about...halfway through everything I have planned for this story. Maybe a little more. But never fear, O Faithful Readers, for there is plenty more to come! I've had to kind of go back and read through everything I've written so far to ensure that I know exactly where I am in the plot...but now I'm all caught up! And yes, I promise the relationship between Lucy and Natsu will be explored more in the coming chapters._

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><p><strong>LX: Aetheron<strong>

"It's so pretty," the snake-girl murmured. Lucy followed her bleary-eyed gaze to the black sky and saw a thousand streaks of fiery light. She had to agree; it was breathtaking.

But something was wrong with the Tower of Heaven. The tip of it was glowing white-hot, so bright that it hurt Lucy's eyes. The brilliance was slowly creeping down the Tower, engulfing the shiny black obsidian in a cosmic light. "What do you think that is?" she asked Millianna.

"I don't know," the cat-girl said with a small frown.

"It doesn't look good."

"No, it doesn't."

Lucy frowned too, watching the mountain ripple under Richard's power. If she squinted, she could see a bright pink speck among the black rocks. "I hope they make it okay."

Millianna sighed. "Me too."

Up on the mountain, Wally and Natsu simultaneously sneezed.

"You two okay back there?" Richard called to them. He was out of breath and sweat was forming on his brow. Obviously this was more strenuous than he originally intended. "We're almost there. Just hold on a little longer."

Wally and Natsu nodded. They each balanced on a rock, much like surfing, as Richard propelled them forward using his earth magic. Happy perched on Natsu's shoulders, conserving his energy for the battle.

According to Richard, it was going to be a very fierce one. Brain was the least of their worries; all he was concerned with was fame and fortune. He wanted people to know his name, and that was all.

It was Brain's alter ego, Zero, who they were to be worried about. Richard warned that he was a sociopath concerned only with destruction. He said that Brain's plan was revive Zeref in order to learn powerful magic. But if Zero gained control, then he would unleash Zeref to the world.

"Oracion Seis was what kept Zero sealed," Richard explained. "If Erza's gotten all the way up to the Tower, she must have defeated Midnight, which means that we were all defeated in battle. Which, in turn, means that Zero has been freed."

To the others, the idea of Zeref being alive at all was terrifying, under Zero's control or otherwise.

Suddenly, Richard cursed and his passengers struggled to maintain balance as he gained speed. "The Aetheron has begun," he explained, hissing. Natsu and Wally looked up and saw a thousand stars falling from the sky. The Tower began to glow.

Natsu covered his ears as a horrible scream erupted from the top of the mountain. It sounded like a man's, but it was somehow unearthly and haunted. It felt like someone was stabbing him in the ear. Shades burst from the windows of the Tower and swirled around, howling demonically. Their darkness sapped away all of the light except for the light at the tip of the Tower generated by the Aetheron, like an ethereal lighthouse. The three men looked up in awe, squinting against the weird phenomenon.

"I won't be able to make it up there," Richard yelled over the din. "Not with all that magic pressure. I'm sorry, Natsu. I'm sorry, brother."

Wally looked grim. Natsu set his jaw and put a hand on Richard's shoulder. "Can you move the Tower with your magic?"

Richard and Wally were equally astounded. "It's possible," Richard finally said. "But...but Erza and Shou and Simon..."

"Do what you have to do," Natsu growled. "I won't let anything happen to them."

Richard observed him for a moment, then nodded. Natsu was the kind of man to be trusted. "Alright," he said, "but be ready. This is going to be ugly." They braced themselves as Richard took in a deep breath. "_Liquid Ground!_"

The Tower of Heaven suddenly began to sink into the mountain, melting into it like a popsicle on a warm summer day. The Shades let out a piercing scream and departed, vanishing into thin air. The Tower groaned in agony and began to crack, began to double over in pain. The glow at the tip of the Tower flickered and died.

"Now, Happy!" Natsu shouted. The blue cat grabbed Natsu and fearlessly flew toward the avalanche, dodging the flying debris. The Tower swayed perilously as the ground ate at its sleek black foundation. The mountain shifted with a thunderous roar, emptying a ton of sediment that tumbled down the slope and accelerated the Tower's destruction. Natsu beat away big chunks of rock with his fists and flame, looking for his comrades. A flash of yellow caught his eye. "Happy! Get Shou!"

"But - "

"Do it!"

Happy flew toward the falling man and, when the Fire Dragonslayer said to, released Natsu and dove for the card mage. Natsu caught himself on a relatively stable piece of mountain and scanned the falling debris for Erza and Simon.

He saw her suddenly, thrown from the window at the top of the stooping Tower. A huge man in a cape had his hands wrapped around her throat. Natsu could see his vehement fury even from his vantage point. Erza frantically punched and kicked at the man, to no avail. Suddenly a sword exquipped into her hand and she sliced at him. He leaped back into the safety of the Tower, Erza following suit.

"ERZA!" Natsu yelled, though he know she could not hear. She was still locked in battle with Zero. If she stayed inside the Tower of Heaven any longer, it would collapse and she would die.

With a piercing shriek the Tower split in two, the top half plummeting to the ground. Natsu roared and raced forward into the avalanche, but someone held him back. It was Shou and Happy, pulling at Natsu's vest to keep him from diving into the sediment. "Don't do it, Natsu! You'll only hurt yourself!"

"But Erza - "

"There's nothing we can do!" Tears gathered in Shou's eyes. "You'll never make it."

Natsu heard it faintly, the scream. A woman's scream. He wheeled around and just caught a glimpse of Erza's red hair as she leapt from the window seconds before it crashed into the avalanche, tripling the debris. "Happy, I saw her! She's in the avalanche!"

"No way!" Happy cried. He pointed with his small blue paw. "Natsu, look! She's there!"

Suddenly the flow parted and Erza, in some thick yellow armor, was revealed. She was wrapped around the man who Natsu could only assume was Jellal. The ground under them lurched again, and they rose above the destruction, safe from harm, only a few feet away from the three spectators. Natsu let out a sigh of relief. In the end, Richard had kept his promise for him.

Shou ran toward them. "Erza-nee! I'm coming!"

Erza nodded, but she did not quite hear. Because Jellal was in her arms, safe and himself. Overwhelmed with relief, she leaned down and kissed his pale, cold lips. She felt him spring to life, startled, and felt his big hand at the nape of her neck. When she pulled away, it was as though he was lost in a dream. Her scarlet hair slipped through his fingers. His eyes flickered.

"Erza. Erza Scarlet," he breathed before sinking back into unconsciousness.

The Titania smiled with pure joy. She had honestly not expected him to remember her name, even though he had been the one to christen her.


	61. Dawn Of A New Day

_**Author's Note:** A lot of people were really confused about the battle between Angel and Lucy. Looking back, I admit that it was rather vague. So I went and revised it for you guys! It should make more sense now. And don't worry, nothing in the plot was altered so you don't have to go back and reread it if you don't want to._

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><p><strong>LXI: Dawn Of A New Day<strong>

"Why is it," Lucy began, "that every time you show up, Natsu, something ends up destroyed?"

They stood among the rubble of what was once the Tower of Heaven and most of the mountain surrounding it. The avalanche had crushed the buildings nearest to the mountain, and many of the townspeople were demanding Natsu's arrest for the ordeal, although none of them had any proof that it was actually he who caused it.

Clover Town awoke with the dawn. And they were in a panic. Unfortunately their ruler took a tad longer to become fully functional, and it was up to Erza to handle the befuddlement. She did a pretty good job of it too; the citizens were so intimidated by her that they didn't dare ask any questions.

The Aetheron occurred harmlessly. It would not happen again for another five hundred years. Zeref's rebirth was successfully averted.

But the cost was great. Greater than it had to be.

Lucy ran through the list in her mind. Cobra, Racer, and Angel, the last Celestial Spirit mage besides herself, all died in battle. Midnight escaped apprehended; all they'd found at the sight of his battle with Erza was a bloodstain. As for Brain - or Zero, whatever - it was unknown whether he lived or died. His body had yet to be found, anyway. Zeref's tools, Lullaby and Klodoa, where also missing.

Perhaps the greatest blow was the death of Simon. Lucy remembered the news quite clearly. Erza had run up to Happy, looking stern. "Happy. Where is Simon?"

"What do you mean? He was with you," Happy said, confused.

"He fell off the mountain during the battle with Midnight," Erza explained. "You did see him and catch him, didn't you?"

Happy stared at her sadly for a moment, then put his little paw on her knee. "No. No, Erza, I didn't."

Never in Lucy's life had she seen anybody cry so hard.

Surprisingly, all the Clover citizens only suffered minor injuries. As for the mages who fought, well; that was another story. Lucy had to stay in the hospital for three whole days, as did Richard, Shou, and Erza. Natsu and the others made it out with two or less. Kinana, previously Cuberos, stayed at the hospital even after they released her. She did whatever nursing duties that she was allowed and rather liked it there. Kinana proved to be a quirky, patient, friendly person. Lucy suspected that the snake-girl would find her niche in society just fine.

Jellal slowly recovered from his confinement and torture. Lucy liked him. She could tell he was a good leader. He spoke to his citizens and explained what happened. Then he told them what was going to happen.

"We are going to rebuild what was destroyed," he said. "Except for the Tower of Heaven. It was once a place to worship dark magic, but since Zeref's death it has become a memorial to those who suffered and perished because of its creation. Although the Tower will not be rebuilt, their memories will never disappear with it."

Jellal also asked Erza to marry him at the end of that speech, a proposal she declined in front of all Clover. "I have a life in Magnolia. I love it there. It is my home," she explained, touching his face. "But I will not leave you. Not entirely. I just can't marry you and become your duchess, or whatever."

"Fair enough," Jellal grinned. "You're right. You're my knight in shining armor, and that will have to be enough. It is enough."

Lucy puffed out her cheeks with a bit of exasperation. Jellal and Erza were so in love that it was sickening, almost; not that she wasn't happy for them, but...

She glanced at Natsu quickly, only to realize he was answering her question. Well, he was opening his mouth to object, anyway.

"What d'you mean?"

Lucy quirked an eyebrow at him and began counting on her fingers. "My tower, Raijinshuu Castle, and now this."

"I didn't destroy Gajeel's place. Or much of Blue Pegasus."

"Still. Most people don't take out one castle in their lifetime, much less three. Face it, Natsu: you either have a gift or a curse."

"You know, I didn't destroy much until you got here," Natsu pointed out. "So maybe it's your fault. Didja ever stop to think about that?"

"What do I have to do with your inability to contain yourself?" Lucy scoffed. Then she gave him a coy smile. "Unless, of course, you're trying to impress me?"

Natsu shot her a befuddled look. "Why would I try to impress you?"

"Ugh! Forget it!"

"Hey!" Natsu frowned at Happy, confused, as Lucy stormed away. "What'd I say?"

Jellal clapped his hands for attention. All of Clover gathered in front of the ruins. Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Erza, Shou, Millianna, Wally, and Richard - whose crimes Jellal had pardoned in light of his assistance - were on either side of him. He'd said earlier that he had a special surprise, but none of them, not even Erza, knew what it was.

"Good evening, everyone," he said, addressing the audience. "Thank you for joining me here today. First, I would like to introduce you to those who we owe our lives to. Using their courage and determination, they rescued all of Clover and quite possibly all of Earthland from certain destruction."

He waited while the audience applauded enthusiastically, then continued. "I know I said before that the Tower of Heaven would not be rebuilt, and I still stand by that. However, I also said that those who suffered because of its construction need not have their sacrifices forgotten." He stopped and held out a hand to Erza. "I'm going to need your help," he whispered. Erza nodded and slipped her fingers into his.

He turned his back to the audience and faced the ruins. Taking a deep breath, he raised both arms and began to mutter words rapidly under his breath, sweat forming on his brow. The audience and the group in front watched in awe as the rocks lifted themselves into the air and planted themselves firmly in the earth. Some of them Jellal even shaped; Lucy noticed a pair of angel wings, a cobra, and a pair of shoes. Some of them had names engraved. Most of them were just blank grave markers.

Grass sprouted from the parched ground and curled around the rocks in tendrils. At the head of the rugged cemetary there was a rock in the shape of a jaw engraved with: _Simon's Heaven Memorial_.

Jellal collapsed. Erza caught him, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry that I couldn't do more," he wheezed. "He deserved so much more. They all did." He watched as Shou, Millianna, Wally, and Richard inspected the cemetary, transfixed. They drifted toward the row of shaped rocks. Shou pressed his hand on a giant Ace of Spades; Millianna petted the head of a cat; Wally caressed the barrel of a gun; Richard ran his hand along the rock with his name engraved.

Jellal sat down on the ground. "Go see it, Erza. It's for you, too."

Erza released his hand and drifted over to the sign. She ran her fingers along Simon's name. Then she meandered over to a marker shaped like a magnificent sword. She didn't have to read the name to know it was in memory of her own sacrifices.

She turned back to Jellal, her eye filling with tears. "Thank you. Thank you."

Lucy turned away as the Titania wrapped her arms around Jellal and helped him up. She wandered toward the rock shaped like angel wings and pressed her finger to the tip of one stone feather. She jumped when someone put a hand on her shoulder. It was a warm hand. Natsu.

"I know it's really not my place," Lucy whispered. "To miss her. But she was the only other Celestial mage that anyone knew about. We were bound together by our magic, and I...I used that magic to kill her." Lucy's eyes filled with tears as the true horror of what she had done dawned on her. She had taken a life. Maybe not intentionally, maybe in self-defense, but Angel was still dead because of her actions. And now she was alone with her gift.

Natsu wordlessly wrapped his arms around her. Lucy didn't think twice about returning the gesture, burying her face into his shoulder. In Natsu's arms she felt warm and safe. She didn't feel alone at all.

"You didn't kill her, Lucy," Natsu said into her hair. He recalled how Cobra had fallen down the side of the mountain, been knocked off Cuberos by the grating noise of his scream. Natsu felt a little seed of unease settle in his stomach, but he supposed that he hadn't killed Cobra any more than Lucy had killed Angel. "How could you know she'd die?" How could he have known?

"If I didn't kill her, then why do I feel so guilty?" Lucy muttered.

Natsu didn't have an answer. He couldn't think of an excuse for himself, much less for her.

And they stood silently together in the center of the Heaven Memorial until the merciless dawn of a new day spilled over the lavender peaks of the mountains.


	62. Answers In The Stars

**Author's Note:**_ I got a lot of complaints about how the Sleeping Beauty arc moved too fast, and I definitely agree - this was not only one of the hardest ones to write, it also was the least satisfying. I apologize. To make up for it, I'm taking these next few chapters to breathe, step away from the arcs for a while, and focus a little more on what's going on with our protagonists. _

_But not necessarily NaLu. While their relationship will become progressively more developed, I would like to point out that I have categorized this story as Humor/Action/Adventure and not Romance for a reason. Most fairy tales do end up with a "happily ever after" scenario, and so will Natsu's and Lucy's; however, for now it is not the primary plotline._

_To go with my mega-note, I give you a mega-chapter! Enjoy! :)_

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><p><strong>LXII: Answers In The Stars<strong>

The inn Lucy stayed at in Clover was far from the gaudy masterpiece of Blue Pegasus, but it was clean and functional. The workers were exceptionally kind, and they didn't flirt with her every time they saw her, which was an added bonus. It was the middle of the afternoon and she could hear the town bustling outside her window. It was an exceptionally busy town, a rowdy town, but also a stoic town. They carried on with their repairs without complaint. Lucy had the feeling that they were used to recovery.

With a sigh she turned to the keys layed in a neat sparkling row on her bed. She had organized them in the order that she'd received them; some part of her trying to procrastinate what she had to do.

Lyra. The Lyre.

Hologorium. The Clock.

Cancer. The Crab.

Plue. The White Dog.

Lucy stopped and stared at the new procession of keys that she possessed but did not technically belong to her. Her stomach lurched as she traced their shapes with her fingertips.

Leo. The Lion.

Scorpio. The Scorpion.

Gemini. The Twins.

Aries. The Ram.

Four new gold keys. Of the twelve that were scattered through Fiore, five were in her possession. Lucy closed her eyes. She was the last registered surviving Celestial mage, but anyone could use the precious Zodiac keys. Who, if anyone, was using them at this moment? Were they being treated well, or were they being abused?

It struck Lucy that, if the silver keys disappeared when their creator died - like Caelum did - then they were rarer than the gold keys. Lyra, Hologorium, and Plue were the only ones in existence.

Lucy knew that it made sense for her to at least attempt to make a contract with Leo first, since he was the first she'd gotten, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She picked up Aries instead. She had too many questions to ask that she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answers to.

"_Open, the Gate to the Ram! Aries!_"

The gentle Spirit manifested before Lucy's eyes, shyly looking down at her feet. Lucy felt her heart swell with adoration and pity. Aries reminded her of a wilted flower: delicate, unfortunate, and defeated.

"Hello, Aries," she said. "I'm sorry we weren't properly introduced before; it was just kind of a hectic time. I'm Lucy. Lucy Heartphilia."

"Heartphilia?" Aries murmured. "As in...Layla Heartphilia?"

"Yes. She was my mother." Lucy paused. "Did you know her?"

"I'm sorry, no. I've heard of her. I heard she was very lovely. And kind."

"I wouldn't know," Lucy admitted. She hoped that was the case.

"If you are any indication, then I'm sure it was true."

Lucy blushed. "Thank you. And thank you for saving my friend."

"How is he?"

"Good. We succeeded in defeating Oracion Seis and we rescued Jellal and the rest of the town. Tomorrow we're leaving Clover. Which is why I summoned you." Lucy gave Aries what she hoped as a reassuring smile. "I'm so sorry about Angel. I never meant..."

"Please don't apologize, Lucy," Aries said softly. "It was not your fault. And...it was for the best."

Lucy nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. These past two weeks had been difficult. She didn't know how Natsu remained so enthusiastic about everything after witnessing Cobra's demise. Lucy felt burdened by her role in Angel's death, but Natsu kept his smile as bright as ever. Erza sympathized with Lucy the most; they'd grown remarkably close over the past two weeks. Erza assured Lucy that over time the guilt would subside, because it wasn't Lucy's fault. Everyone told her that. It wasn't her fault. But if she wasn't responsible, why did she fell like she was?

"Well, anyway," Lucy continued,"I just thought I'd let you know that you're welcome to stay with me if you want to. Make a contract and travel with me. Or I can take you anywhere you want to go. It's your choice."

Almost inperceivably, Aries's gaze flickered over to the bed. Then she looked Lucy in the eye for the first time. "I'll stay with you. I'll make a contract with you and be your Celestial Spirit."

Lucy smiled, blindingly. "I was hoping you'd say that."

They made a contract and Aries went back to the Celestial Spirit world. Before she left, she wished Lucy good luck. Lucy didn't know what for, but they were words that she needed to hear.

Next, she picked up Gemini.

"_Open, the Gate to the Twins! Gemini!_"

Much to Lucy's surprise, her doppelgänger popped up, dressed in the tattered, dirty apparel that Lucy had worn the night she arrived at Clover. Real Lucy cried out and leapt back, but Fake Lucy made no move to attack. "Hello," the Spirit said.

"Hi...I'm Lucy..."

"We know." Fake Lucy gave a bland smile and tilted her head in a birdlike fashion.

"Um, would you mind changing into your original shapes? This makes me a little...uncomfortable," Lucy squeaked.

"As you wish." Fake Lucy morphed into two green alien-looking things, who blinked at Lucy expectantly. "I am Gemi," one said. The other proclaimed, "I am Mini." Together, they said, "Nice to meet you, Lucy."

"Nice to meet you," Lucy replied.

"We already know what you're going to ask us," Gemi said.

"And we already have our answer," Mini put in.

"Oh?" Lucy didn't doubt they knew exactly what she was going to ask, but she wasn't entirely sure what their answer would be.

"Yes," they said together.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Yes as in you know what I'm going to ask, or yes as in you agree to it?"

"Both are accurate," Mini responded.

"We will make a contract with you," Gemi said for clarification, "and we will be one of your Celestial Spirits."

"We already know all of your plans, and your motives," Mini remarked.

"Such as going to Acalypha to see your father - "

" - and locate your brother."

Synchronized, they said, "We know all about it by looking into your mind when we cloned you, and we want to help bring two twins together."

Lucy blinked and gave them a teary smile. She was strangely touched by these odd creatures' sympathy to her cause. "Thank you."

"No, Lucy," they said. "Thank _you_."

They also made a contract with her, and disappeared into the Celestial Spirit world. Lucy picked Scorpio from the line. "_Open, the Gate to the Scorpion! Scorpio!_"

The man with the giant metal tail appeared, blinking as if confused. His eyes focused on Lucy, and he blinked again in surprise. "You?"

"Yes. I'm Lucy."

Scorpio blinked again, then nodded. "So you defeated Angel then?"

Lucy bit her lip. "Angel is...dead."

"Dead. We suspected as much." Scorpio stopped and gave Lucy a once-over. "Are you our new master?"

"I don't consider myself a master to my Spirits," Lucy said, shaking her head. "To me, they're more like partners. Friends. But, yes, I'd like to form a contract with you. Only if you want to."

"And if not?"

"Then tell me where you want to go, and I'll take you there."

Scorpio thought for a moment. "Do you have a certain key? Aquarius?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Lucy sighed.

"Hm..." Scorpio pursed his lips. "We will form a contract. But if you encounter Aquarius, then the two of us want to be together."

"As you wish," Lucy said, quoting Gemini. "But...why, if you don't mind me asking?"

"She's my girlfriend," Scorpio explained.

Lucy was taken back. "Celestial Spirits date?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't we?"

"I just...I never thought about it." Lucy frowned. "So, can Spirts...you know...reproduce?"

Scorpio tipped back his head and laughed. "Please, that's just ridiculous! We aren't animals!"

"Well _excuse _me..." Lucy muttered crossly, blushing.

"Sorry, that might have been offensive to a human," Scorpio said sincerely. "My meaning was that we aren't dictated by the instinct that a mortal entity might possess. When we love, it is not because of a biological desire programmed into our genes. We have no desire to carry on our race, because we are, in fact, cursed souls. Not to say we don't enjoy intimacy - "

"OKAY!" Lucy interrupted. "How about that contract?"

She formed a contract with Scorpio, and once again promised to bring him together with Aquarius if she were to ever cross paths with the Spirit. He dissipated back into the Celestial Spirit world, and there was only one key left.

Lucy picked it up off of the bed. She licked her lips. Sighed. Raised her arm. Put it down again.

She couldn't do it.

Not alone.

Lucy tucked the key into her pocket and padded out of the room. After a few minutes of mindless wandering, she found Natsu in the kitchen of the inn. The poor innkeeper had made the mistake of promising Natsu, Lucy, and Happy free everything for the duration of their stay as gratitude for their services to the town. Unfortunately this included unlimited access to the buffet and kitchens. Natsu and Happy alone had almost bankrupt the man until Erza chastised them for being selfish gluttons.

Lucy caught them hunched over a table of delicacies, stuffing their faces. She smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "Taking advantage of Mr. Kabby's hospitality again?" she said, quirking an eyebrow and relishing how they both jumped violently at the sound of her voice. "Wait until Erza finds out."

"Luce, tha's not funneh!" Natsu said around a mouthful of food. He swallowed and scowled, a bit worried. "You're not gonna tell her, are you?"

"No, just be cautious of how much you eat," Lucy said. "We really don't want to overdo it. Which you have a tendency of doing, especially when food's involved."

Natsu snorted. "Whatever."

Lucy bit her lip nervously as he turned back to his personal buffet. She fingered the key in her pocket. "Natsu?"

He turned around to look at her again. "Yeah?"

"...I need your help."

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Natsu frowned, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. He grinned widely and pounded his fist against the flat of his palm. "Need me to rough someone up for you?"

"Aye, Natsu's good at that!" Happy piped up.

Lucy giggled. "No, nothing like that. I...I'm making contracts with all of Angel's Spirits and...I mean, I did...but Leo..." She sighed. "There's just something about him. I can't do it."

"I don't see how I can help you with that," Natsu said. "What do you need?"

"I just...I need you."

The room was completely silent.

"Ooooh, she _needs _you, Natsu," Happy said slyly, making kissing faces. "Lucy's makin' the moves on Natsu!"

"I am not, stupid cat!"

"Natsu and Lucy sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Shut up!"

"First comes love, then comes marriage - "

"Will you be quiet? I am not making any moves on Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed, although if Happy was any judge the color of her face said otherwise. "I'm just scared, okay? I need someone to be there with me when I summon Leo!" Lucy turned to Natsu again, frowning miserably as tears pooled in her eyes. "Please, Natsu? Will you do this with me?"

Natsu blinked. Then he flashed her another huge grin. "Sure, Lucy! I'll always be there when you need me."

He said it so nonchalantly, as though it was the most ordinary response in the world. As though the words were nothing in his mouth, even as Lucy's heart did a little leap in her chest.

"Thank you!" she said with a smile, throwing her arms around his neck in relief.

"One thing, though."

"What?"

"Can I finish eating?"

After Natsu and Happy finished their feast, they followed Lucy back to her room where the keys still remained in a neat row on her bed. "Wow, you've sure collected a lot of these," Happy remarked.

"Shh, Happy, she's gotta concentrate," Natsu hissed, pressing his index finger to his lips in a silencing motion. Happy nodded and stared expectantly at Lucy with his big round eyes, Natsu doing the same with an identical expression.

Lucy squirmed. "Um...okay..."

"Don't worry, Luce. We're here for you. Go on," Natsu encouraged.

Lucy nodded and smiled. "Right." She held up the key. "_Open, the Gate of the Lion! Leo!_"

And there he was.

Spikey reddish hair, sunglasses, suit and all. He seemed unsurprised to see Lucy, though he took a moment to get a baring of his surroundings. Finally, he looked at her and gave a charismatic smile worthy of the Trimens. "Hello, Lucy. You're looking stunning today."

Lucy reeled. This was not at all who she expected. Distantly she recalled his first words to her: he'd called her _Mom_. And now he was flirting with her? Maybe this Spirit was just insane. That would explain everything. "Hello, Leo," she said.

He bowed. "I'm at your service."

From behind her, Lucy heard Natsu and Happy burst into guffaws. "Th-this was the one you were so afraid of?" Natsu gasped, banging his fist on the bed. "He...he's just as bad as those Blue Pegasus guys!"

Leo scowled and twisted the ring on his finger. "Do you need me to take care of them for you, Lucy?"

"No! Leo, these are my friends. Natsu and Happy. Who are being _very rude_ right now," Lucy added with malice, her cheeks burning. She turned back to him as their laughter calmed down.

"It's fine," Leo dismissed, suddenly serious. "I'm assuming that Angel was defeated and that you rescued her keys, yes?"

"I did," Lucy said, gesturing to the keys beside Natsu and Happy. Leo took a step forward and plucked Aries's out of the row. His angular face softened into a look of such caring that Lucy felt a lump form in her throat. So she was right. Aries was the mystery woman whom Leo had asked her to save.

"Thank you, Lucy," he said. "You don't know how much that means to me. Has she made a contract with you?"

"Yes. So have the others."

"Good. I'm glad she's in good hands now." Leo gave her another glamorous smile, setting Aries's key down on the bed. "You saved the best for last, I see."

Lucy licked her lips. "I want to make a contract with you."

"It would be an honor."

"But," Lucy continued, "I want to ask you some questions first."

Leo's face hardened. "I expected as much. You'd be a fool not to."

"Karen," Lucy said. "Just tell me what happened. From the beginning."

Leo sighed and grabbed a chair, sat down in it. Lucy did the same, plopping down on the bed between Natsu and Happy, who were both equally attentive. "Karen found my key in a thrift shop in Shirotsume Town, where I had found it just a few months before and been tricked into taking my predecessor's place. He convinced me that if I freed him, I'd have the power to help a friend of mine who was enslaved in a key by the man who ruled - and still rules, as far as I know - the town. He goes by Duke Everlue."

"Hey, I know that name!" Happy squeaked. The other three glanced at him in shock.

"You do?" they said simultaneously.

"Yeah. I just...can't remember where...I heard it..."

"Well, that's pointless, isn't it?" Lucy remarked dryly. "Go on, Leo."

"I freed the Spirit. But of course, I possessed the key in return and became Leo in his place. I don't know how long I stayed at the shop; I don't even know how the previous Leo got there in the first place. The next thing I remember is Karen summoning me in her room in Blue Pegasus Woodland Resort; which is where I'm assuming you got me, Lucy. She explained to me the details of being a Spirit, and I formed a contract with her.

"Karen was powerful. She was wild and free. Independent. She was beautiful. But she was also cruel and manipulative. Sometimes she reminded me of a bulldozer; she would crush the weak, the kind, and the silent under her foot." Leo stopped and looked at her. "Many people loved her. Were in love with her."

Lucy thought immediately of Hibiki.

"She knew exactly who, and would use them then discard them like garbage if they let her. Karen was not considerate of other people's feelings. Especially where her Spirits were concerned. She thought of us only as tools, not as people. We were her slaves."

Leo gazed at her then, mentally begging her to understand. "I did not, under any circumstances, hate Karen. I didn't love her either, but I knew she was strong and I knew that she would help me find my friend if I only proved to her I was worth helping. I just had to do it in a way that wouldn't anger her.

"But...you've met Aries, Lucy. She's not someone who takes well to yelling. She doesn't like using her powers violently, even if it means defending herself. And certainly she would never strike her master." Leo sighed and closed his eyes against the unpleasant memories. Lucy yearned to reach out and take his hand, but sat silent and still next to Natsu and Happy.

"Karen knew that, and she used it to her advantage. She abused Aries to no extent. I would often find Aries curled up in a ball, crying. She tried not to let me see, but I always knew. I told Karen to stop, and so did Bob, but she didn't listen. She didn't listen to anyone.

"Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to _make _her listen.

"When you summon a Spirit, Lucy, it is through both of our consents. If I didn't want to come, you couldn't really make me. And I can only come of my will if I feed upon my own energies. Closing the gate works the same way. It is very rare that a Celestial Spirit mage can push a Spirit back into the Spirit World of their own accord."

"So," Lucy said, frowning, "the next time Karen summoned you..."

"I refused to go back until she gave me her word that she would no longer harm Aries, or any of her other Spirits," Loke finished. "But Karen wasn't about to take orders from a tool. She refused and told me that I would give in before I died. But she knew that if I died it would technically be her fault, and the key would claim her as the next Leo.

"I lasted for three weeks." Leo looked down at his hands. "It was agonizing. It was like every nerve in my body was slowly deteriorating. My muscles wouldn't work. I grew nauseated at the slightest provocation. I became really, really sick. I don't know what kept me hanging on for so long. Maybe I just knew that Karen would torment me if I gave up. Or maybe it was the thought of what she would do to Aries afterward. I don't know.

"What I do know is that Karen was starting to become really scared that I would die. I was certainly dying. She would scream at me and beat me, she even tried to force me back through the gate once or twice, but it never worked. I stayed. And since she had summoned me in the first place, I was feeding off of her energy, not my own. She tried to learn how to summon another Spirit, but she hadn't yet mastered that ability.

"Angel and Karen were archenemies. They were always after each others' keys. One day Angel caught Karen in the East Forest and ambushed her. I was at Blue Pegasus. I had no idea what was going on until Karen didn't come back. Hibiki went looking for her and came back with her body in his arms. Her keys were gone. Angel had killed her and taken them.

"I didn't stay for the burial. I would have died if I'd stayed that long. Maybe I should have. But I didn't know who would have taken my place, and I didn't want to risk cursing some innocent bystander." Loke looked up. "I went back in my key. And that's the end."

The room was silent as the three companions absorbed the information given to them. Finally, Lucy cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry, Leo."

"Don't be."

Lucy stood up. "I'm going to help you find your friend in Shirotsume Town."

Leo's eyes grew wide with amazement. "What? You would really do that for me, Lucy?"

"Of course. It's the least I can do," Lucy assured. "For right now, let's just make a contract. I'm sure you're probably tired from all this talking."

Leo gratefully allowed Lucy to summon him whenever she needed him, and disappeared into the Celestial Spirit world after kissing her hand. He looked like he wanted to say something important before he went, but he paused. "You don't know how much this means to me," were his last words.

Lucy turned to Natsu and sighed. "Thank you."

"Poor guy," Natsu said. "You sure about this Shirotsume Town thing, Luce? It's pretty out of the way. What about Acalypha?"

"A little detour won't hurt. What, are you that anxious to get rid of me?"

"As if!" Natsu snorted. Lucy was mildly disappointed when he didn't elaborate. "Hey, can you summon Lyra today? I wanna rake up some extra cash before tomorrow."

Lucy grabbed her key ring, skipping out of the room and assist with another performance in their usual spot on the street. Clover had taken well to Natsu's fire juggling act and Lyra's music, and the three of them made quite a profit from it.

"Let's go!"


	63. In Sickness

**Author's Note:**_ Another long chapter I got from putting two short chapters together! Yay...! Anyway, this is just a warning to you all: I start school soon (gonna be a junior, woot woot!), and I have a job, and I have two other stories I'm working on, so this might go from being updated every week to being updated every two weeks. However, if this does happen to be the case, I solemnly swear that the chapters will remain at the length they have recently been. _

_That is all._

* * *

><p><strong>LXIII: In Sickness<strong>

Clover was its most beautiful at sunrise. The fiery rays of the sun beamed over the lip of majestic mountains surrounding the sleeping city and bathed it in cool morning light. The birds practiced their pure shrill songs, shedding their wings of dew. Starlight clung to the shifting sky, but as the moon gradually faded from existence the remaining constellations loyally followed. There was a certain kind of silence that pervaded the streets during this moment, a serene tranquility unparalleled by any other.

Jellal and Erza patiently waited at the Memorial for the trio of heros to arrive. The fatigued duke still showed signs of his enchanted imprisonment: there were dark circles under his eyes, his skin was still pale with malnurishment, and he was all too thin. But his black eyes were bright with hope for the future, hope for the broken city that was now in his care.

Erza hadn't seen him sleep in days, and it had been nearly a week since his release. She fretted over him incessantly, though anyone who didn't know her wouldn't be able to tell. Much like everything else she did, her fretting was dignified and folliless.

As they watched the sunrise together, Erza's gaze softened at the town. Jellal loved Clover dearly, she knew, even after all that had happened to him here. But although the city would always have a place in her heart, it was no longer her home. Magnolia and Fairy Tail Castle was her home now. And just like Jellal could not be separated from Clover, Erza could not abandon Magnolia.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, silently, like the sunrise.

"There's the happy couple!" Just like that, the moment was shattered by the arrival of Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. They, too, were continuing on with their journey. Of course, Erza and the trio were going in opposite directions, but before they left they wanted to say goodbye.

Lucy yawned. "Why'd we have to get up so early...?"

"You're the one who wanted to take the train this time," Natsu reminded, not without acid. They'd had a long, heated debate the day before about whether they were continuing their venture through the forest or not. Natsu fought valiantly - he would do just about anything not to ride on some form of transportation - but Lucy's defense was undeniable. Their last walk through the East Forest left them attacked by wolves, held hostage by an Iron Dragonslayer, attacked by a vengeful Lightning Dragonslayer, lost, held hostage by a misguided magical spa manager, and lost again. Not only that, but the walk to Shirotsume Town from Clover was longer than the walk from Hosenka to Clover. There was no telling what would happen.

"But couldn't we take a later train?"

"Not if we wanted to get to Shirotsume before nightfall."

Lucy dropped the subject as they neared Erza and Jellal. The latter gave them a welcoming smile. "There are the three local heros," he said cordially. "The whole town is talking about you. Assisting the famous Titania in battle against Oracion Seis. Not to mention," he added, "saving the life of their duke. And word of your gallantry is already traveling from Magnolia and Hosenka. I daresay you three will be celebrities by the time you get to Onibus. You might have a parade waiting for you at the station."

Natus and Lucy glanced at each other. "Actually," Lucy said, "we aren't going to Onibus. At least not right away. Not from here."

"No?" Jellal repeated, surprised. "Then where are you headed, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Shirotsume," Natsu answered.

Erza frowned. "Shirotsume Town? Why would you want to go there? They're in a state of severe economical and governmental turmoil. Ever since that horrible Duke Everlue basically monopolized the entire town, work has been hard to find and wages are low. No one can do anything without the duke's permission."

"This is the first I've ever heard of that," Lucy said uncertainly. "Why hasn't it been addressed by anyone?"

"King Fried was going to look more into it when he got back from his honeymoon with Mirajane," Erza confided. "But the way the justice system sees it, there's nothing he can do unless he can prove that Everlue is corrupt. And so far no one has been able to do so. The duke is very thorough."

"It sounds like this Duke Everlue needs to be taught a lesson," Natsu said, scowling. Then he scratched his head. "Man, that name sounds familiar...Everlue, Duke Everlue...where have I heard that before...?"

"That's what I'm saying!" Happy said, exasperated. The cat had been up the entire night before trying to figure it out.

"If you've heard it around, it's probably been nothing good," Erza said. "The man is despicable. Perverted and despicable."

"You've met him?" Lucy inquired.

"Once, when Master Makarov sent me to investigate some suspicious activity surrounding Everlue. Even I couldn't find anything. It was frustrating," Erza said. "All of the townspeople are scared to death of him. He controls their jobs, their homes, everything. I couldn't get a single one to talk."

"I'd avoid Shirotsume Town, if I were you," Jellal put in. "There's nothing worse than getting tangled up in a political web. Trust me."

"We can't," Lucy insisted. "It's important. We're doing a favor for a friend."

"Then take this," he said, digging around in his pocket. He pulled out a blue card with a picture of a falling star on it. "If something happens, just burn the card and I'll know you're in trouble. I'll contact Duke Everlue immediately and bail you out."

"Thank you," Lucy said gratefully, accepting the card.

"It's the least I can do after you saved the city. And my life," Jellal replied. "You three are welcome here any time. But," he looked at his watch, "I'm afraid your train will be arriving soon. You'd best be heading off to the station."

Lucy noticed that he was looking at Erza as he said it. _Oh_, she thought, _Erza's leaving today too_. Instead she said, "Yes, you're right. Thank you for all your help. Come on, Natsu."

Natsu and Happy followed her down the slope. When they got to the bottom, Lucy couldn't help but look up at the Memorial. It was a sad and beautiful sight, all the markers, but perhaps even more so were the two tragic lovers locked in an embrace.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Lucy asked to no one in particular as they began walking toward the station.

"Sure they will," Natsu said without having to even turn around. "They're tough. And they've lived without each other for so long anyway. Besides, it's not like they're never going to see each other again."

"But it can't be easy, going through all that and when you finally have something so wonderful within your reach..." Lucy trailed off.

Natsu looked at her starry-eyed expression with amusement. "You're such a wierdo, Lucy."

"I am not!"

The train station was nearly deserted, all except for a queer gathering of people at the platform. Lucy noticed with a jolt of recognition that it was Shou, Wally, Richard, Millianna, and Kinana. They smiled and waved when they saw the trio walking up to them.

"We thought we'd come say goodbye," Shou explained. He frowned and looked around. "Where's Erza-nee?"

"She's saying goodbye to Jellal," Lucy answered. "But her train doesn't leave until later, so I'm sure you'll get a chance to see her off."

"My brother and I just wanted to thank you," Richard remarked, throwing an arm around Wally. "Thank you for bringing me to my senses and bringing us back together."

"I, too, wanted to thank you for saving me," Kinana murmured shyly.

Lucy was a bit embarrassed. "We appreciate the thanks, but there's really no need. We didn't really do any of that..."

"Maybe not intentionally," Wally said, "but because of you it happened. And that's what matters. Thank you."

"Kitty-cat!" Millianna shrieked, grabbing Happy and smothering him with a hug. "I'm going to miss the kitty-cat so much! You're the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

The final boarding whistle sound for the train. "We've got to go!" Lucy exclaimed, not realizing how late it was. She grabbed a reluctant Natsu and pried Happy away from Millianna, dragging them aboard. Once they found a seat, she stuck her head out the window and waved to the group. The train began to move forward.

"Goodbye!" she called, Natsu doing the same, although his face was becoming green.

"Bye!" the others cheered.

Erza came sprinting to the platform. She clamored to a stop and pointed a finger at Natsu, grinning from ear to ear. "I'd nearly forgotten our duel, Salamander! Next time I see you, we shall clash!"

Natsu's response was a loud groan. Lucy laughed. "Goodbye, Erza!"

"Farewell, Lucy! Have a safe trip!"

Natsu covered his mouth with his hands and moaned as the train gained speed. Though the combined efforts of Lucy and Happy they managed to pull him from the window and lay him down on the seat.

"I had no idea his motion sickness was this bad," Lucy said.

"He'll pass out eventually," Happy remarked. "He's never been able to hold out longer than a couple of hours."

Lucy laughed and shook her head, curling up in the seat and digging out a book she bought in Clover. Within minutes she was entirely absorbed.

Natsu only glared at them. Riding in trains was something that he scarcely did. He'd rather have blistered feet and tired legs than this weakness of stomach and balance.

Also, another thing.

Natsu's thoughts were almost always consumed by food or active adventure; on a train, he could think of neither without ailing. Transportation allowed his mind to wander into other, unfamiliar territories to prevail for as long as possible.

After counting the bolts on the floor became exhausting, he counted the weeks that had gone by since that fateful encounter with Lucy in the East Forest. It had been late July then. They'd defeated Jose and stayed at Phantom Lord Castle until mid-August, when the Rune Knights arrived and took Jose and his subjects into custody. After they hiked to Magnolia, which took a day, and stayed there for exactly a week, attending Fried's ball and defeating Laxus in the process; although the bastard had escaped. Then they detoured to Hosenka, where they met with Levy and stayed for two days. By then it was September. After that Gajeel captured them and they lived in Iron Rose Castle for a whopping three weeks, until Laxus popped up again - escaped, _again _- and Levy broke Gajeel's curse. That was early October. They were lost in the East Forest for two days and held hostage by Blue Pegasus for another five, until Master Bob finally came to his senses. The journey to Clover lasted exactly one day, where they met Erza. With her they defeated Oracion Seis and rescued Jellal, then resided there for another month.

So, although Natsu never bothered to keep up with specific dates, he reasoned that it was early or mid-November. Winter was upon them. And he'd been traveling with Lucy for over five months.

That was the longest he'd lived with anyone, with the exception of Igneel and Happy. Lucy wasn't bad company, but Natsu had never expected her to stick with him this long. Wasn't he supposed to deliver her directly to her father in Acalypha? It shouldn't have taken more than two weeks, three at the most. But then all this had happened...

She _was_ the Lost Princess, though, so shouldn't he just be delivering her safely to Acalypha? With a jolt Natsu realized that if anything ever happened to Fried and Mirajane before they had children, Lucy would be the rightful heir to the Fiorian throne. Queen Lucy.

The thought provoked a wave of intense nausea, so he let it be.

If she was so important, shouldn't Natsu be keeping her safe at all cost? She was the lost Rapunzel of the Heartphilia era. She was the daughter of one of the richest and influential merchants in Fiore. She was the last Celestial mage. But there was something else about Lucy that made her very important, and Natsu didn't think it had to do with any of those things.

He sluggishly turned his eyes up to her, sitting with Happy on the bench across from him. She had abandoned her book in favor of looking out the window. The countryside rolled by in a blur of gray, retired for the winter, but when Lucy saw a rotting barn or roaming cattle her face lit up like Christmas morning. Natsu wondered why, and would have asked if not for the surge of regurgitation that forced his words down to a pitiful gurgle.

Lucy glanced at him. She looked a bit worried. "Happy, are you sure he's okay? He made a funny noise."

Natsu was about to protest, but the train curved and he had to cover his mouth with his hand. He scrambled off the bench and shoved Lucy out of the way, throwing open the window and retching on the dead fields passing below. The train swerved again and he tumbled away from the window, tripping over his feet and Lucy's and landing splayed across the seat. Her shocked face was there, _right there_, and in Natsu's half-delusional state of mind he considered her appearance. She was very pretty, with soft golden hair and big brown eyes. Her eyes were almost like chocola -

Natsu had to cover his mouth with his hand again as his stomach lurched, and Lucy shoved him away in disgust. "Don't come near me if you're only going to puke!" she snapped, tossing her head. _Crap, she's mad_, Natsu thought lethargically._ Look at how red her face is. She's red as a tomat -_

He rushed to the window again, hanging out of it limply as he vomited.

"Foooood," he groaned in anguish. Why did it torment him so? Why must he compare all of Lucy's characteristics to food?

"Are you seriously hungry?" Lucy asked uncertainly, pulling him back into the compartment and closing the window. She wrinkled her nose at the smell. "I guess I could go get you some. Do trains even serve food?" Suddenly she hit her self in the forehead. "Oh, right! Of course they do. There should be a trolley or something that comes through, right? We'll just wait for it, then I'll get you some crackers."

Natsu gave her look, until something clicked in his fuzzy brain: Lucy had never ridden on a train before. She'd been locked up in Jose's tower all of her life, so all she knew about the outside world was what she'd read in books.

And, of course, what she'd seen with him. Perhaps that was why she was so eager to ride on a train, because she'd never done it before. If Natsu had told her that trains were imaginary, like she'd thought dragons were, would she have believed him? Would she have gone her entire life walking everywhere?

_No_, he thought, _even Lucy's not that gullible_. But it did explain why she was so excited to look out the window. It was because all that she'd seen of her country were the cities they'd visited and the forest they'd trekked.

It was a strange concept to Natsu, who knew Fiore inside and out. His quest to find Igneel had led him from coast to coast, from the mountains to the forests, to every city and town. And yet, the country never stopped surprising him. He would have never guessed Lucy's existence in her hidden little tower, or that there was an Iron Dragonslayer suffering the same as him. He had never seen Blue Pegasus or found the dwelling of the Witch of the East Forest. There was so much Fiore left undiscovered.

Like where all the dragons went.

Natsu rolled over on his back and closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about that now. He looked again over at Lucy, who was smiling and pointing something out to Happy. "That's so much prettier than the illustrations," she told him.

"Aye."

"Aye," Natsu mumbled under his breath. They didn't hear him. He closed his eyes again.

_One day, Lucy_, he thought to himself, _I'm gonna show you everything I know. You're gonna see everything I've seen. And then we're gonna find some new stuff. Together_.


	64. Shirotsume Town

_**Author's Note:** We begin our next adventure! Anyone want to take a gander at which it is just by this chapter? Here's a helpful hint - it's not very well-known. And no Disney adaptions to this one either._

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><p><strong>LXIV: Shirotsume Town<strong>

A methodical and increasingly annoying furry object unearthed Natsu from the depths of unconsciousness by colliding with his head in the rhythm of his own name. "Nat-su! Nat-su! Nat-su!"

"Are you sure he's okay?"

Natsu was about to reply to Lucy's question, but the train lurched to an abrupt stop and he choked down bile instead. The furry object - apparently it was Happy jumping up and down on his head - removed itself. Tentatively he opened his eyes to survey his surroundings. Instead got a view of Lucy's rather adulterous underwear.

Naturally, this was when Lucy decided to turn around. Her excited smile morphed into a white mask of horror and then red with anger at the sight of Natsu looking up her skirt. "You _pervert_!" she accused shrilly, bestowing a punch upon his aching head.

"Ow! It's not my fault you stuck your ass right in my face!"

"I - I was just looking out the window! I thought you were asleep!"

"And that makes it okay? Besides, I don't know why you're so upset; it's not like this is the first time I've seen your underwear."

"You've looked up my skirt before?!" Lucy hissed, enraged.

"No, but you really need to pay attention when you're running. Your skirt flaps around everywhere."

"Aye," Happy conceded, having caught a glimpse of Lucy's delicates more than once.

"Well, that's the last thing I'm worried about if I'm running in a skirt!" Lucy said. "I'm probably running from something!"

"Exactly. So why are you making such a big deal out of this?" Natsu shook his head and grabbed his luggage. "C'mon, let's just go see Shirotsume."

The three of them stood in awe of the town for several minutes. It was perhaps the strangest town they had witnessed on their journey so far, stranger even than the chilling serenity of Hosenka. For as soon as they stepped off of the train, they realized just what Erza and Jellal had warned them about.

Shirotsume obviously used to be wonderful. The buildings were colorful under the crumbling paint and broken windows; the streets were elegant cobblestone, but broken and corroded with weeds; even the citizens were dressed in quality clothing, but it was worn and frayed. All in all, it was a falling empire.

"It's so...depressing," Natsu whispered as they meandered through the desolate streets. The few people who were out on the street walked with hurried, brisk steps, their heads swinging back and forth, scoping their surroundings for danger. Were they worried about thieves? The menacing Rune Knights on every corner? Or perhaps there was no difference.

"Aye," Happy uttered.

Lucy sighed. "Let's just see if we can find a hotel."

The closest was a tiny place known as the Mel Inn. It was small and shabby compared to the bed-and-breakfast that belonged to the Strauss siblings, but it was clean, and the innkeeper seemed very nice. "Can we have a room with two single beds please?" Lucy inquired. She and Natsu had decided to go ahead and share a room on account of their budget. Erza warned that doing a fire-juggling act in Shirotsume would probably result in a fine or worse. So unless they encountered some other form of income they only had enough money to stay a week, even with the ridiculously low price of their room.

The innkeeper's wife engaged them in idle chit-chat as she lead them up three flights of stairs to their room. The hotel had worn signs of elegance: cracked crystal, faded wallpaper, scuffed hardwood floors covered with threadbare Persian rugs. Mrs. Melon noticed Lucy's appraisal and smiled apologetically. "Yes, this used to be one of the finest inns in Fiore," she sighed. "Of course, we've seen some financial trouble over the years...but we're still holding on."

"Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?" Lucy pried. "The financial trouble, that is. I've heard that in Shirotsume Town it's the worst, but nowhere else - "

"Here it is." Mrs. Melon halted in front of a door with flaking white paint and a rusting metal plaque that identified the room as 3C. She took a key from the keyring at her waist and threw the door open. "I hope it suits your taste. Just call down to the front desk if you need anything." She paused as she handed Lucy the key. "Miss, if I may...I'd suggest you stop asking so many questions. Curiosity can be a dangerous thing." With a small bow, she retreated down the hallway without looking back.

"Well that was eerie," Lucy remarked.

"At least she didn't say 'curiousity killed the cat,'" Happy lamented. "I've always hated that saying."

"How about 'there's more than one way to skin a cat'?"

"Aye, that one too."

"This room isn't too bad," Natsu said, peering in. He wrinkled his nose. "Smells weird, though. Like...old ladies and cigarette smoke."

"Uck, even I can smell that," Lucy concurred. "But it's the best we can do under the circumstances. And it's a steal at only a seventy-five jewels a night."

"I call the bed next to the window!" Natsu claimed, racing across the room in three long strides and belly-flopping onto the mattress. Happy followed suit, landing on Natsu's back.

Lucy scowled. "Hey! I wanted the window bed!"

"Too bad. I called dibs." Natsu reached behind him and grabbed Happy, tossing him on the other bed. "And that means you too."

"I'm okay with this," Happy said. He curled up and closed his eyes.

"Like hell, stupid cat! Where am I supposed to sleep?!"

"Lucy, stop yelling!" Natsu yawned. "I'm tired."

"I am too! And since I'm a lady, I think you should do the gentlemanly thing and give up the window bed for me. Sleep in the other bed with Happy."

"When did you ever become a lady?" Happy inquired.

"Yeah! And I never said I was a gentleman."

Happy snorted. "You got that right."

Lucy's scowl deepened. She dropped her bag and strode to the bed where Natsu lay. "Fine," she hissed. "If I'm not a lady, then I can do...this!" She grabbed Natsu's scarf and yanked him off of the mattress. The Dragonslayer yelped shrilly and struggled against the suffocating scarf. Lucy let go with a shriek when he opened his mouth and a jet of flame spurted out. It caught on the curtains.

"You guys!" Happy exclaimed, flying around the room in a panic. "Oh, geez, what are we gonna do?! We'll get it so much trouble if we burn down a hotel! We'll never be able to afford it! We might even get arrested this time!"

Lucy looked around and grabbed a pitcher of water on the table, splashing it over the curtains and stomping on the remains of the fire. She wheeled around and in a fit of rage chucked the glass pitcher at Happy, who nimbly dodged it. It smashed against the adjacent wall and shattered.

"Now look what you did, Lucy," Natsu criticized, pouting as he rubbed his neck. He wilted when Lucy wheeled on him.

"Look what _I_ did?! Like this is all _my_ fault?! You just caught the curtains on fire! And you know what? I bet it's not the first time you've almost succeeded in burning down a hotel!"

"That fire was an involuntary reflex! Maybe if you hadn't been choking me, it wouldn't have happened in the first place! And for your information, I've never burned down a hotel!"

"But Natsu," Happy cut in, "what about that - ?"

"Those camp grounds beside Hargeon don't count!"

Lucy blinked. "You...you burned down an entire camp ground?"

"No! Well...well, yeah I guess, but it was their fault!" Natsu cried as Lucy collapsed in to a bout of laughter. "They shouldn't have put the fireworks right beside the trees after serving us hot 'n spicy soup!"

"It's a camp ground! Of course there are trees!" Lucy guffawed. She sat down on the window bed, clutching her stomach and tearing up with the force of her laughter. She'd only been kidding about Natsu's arson; she honestly hadn't expected he'd burned down a hotel, much less an entire camp ground!

Natsu colored and retreated into his scarf. He stood. "Whatever. You can have whatever bed you want. I'll just...share with Happy."

"But Natsuuu!" Happy whined. "I never get a bed to myself!"

"Scoot over, Happy."

"But - ah, okay, okay! Don't touch the tail!"

Lucy caught her breath and wiped away a tear as Natsu crawled into the opposite bed, much to Happy's distaste. "...Thank you, Natsu," she said. The only response she got was a muffled noncommittal noise from somewhere under the blanket. Smiling, she turned off the lamp and settled in to bed.

* * *

><p>The next morning they arose especially early and Lucy brought breakfast from the dingy bakery across the street from the Mel Inn. Over a dozen stale donuts they discussed their plans and quickly realized they had no idea where to start looking for Leo's friend. In fact, they knew nothing at all other than that they were trapped in a Zodiac key.<p>

"Maybe we should ask him," Natsu suggested, licking glaze off his fingers. "After all, he was looking for them when he got tricked into becoming the next Leo. He must've gotten some kind of lead."

"Good idea," Lucy said. She reached for her key and summoned Leo. With his elegant black suit and radiant aura, he was like a lightbulb in the dark room.

"I was wondering when you would beckon me to your side again, lovely Lucy." He raised his eyebrows as he looked around the wreckage from the previous night. The curtains were a charred mass beside the window, and glass glittered in a small apologetic pile on the table between plastic cups. "What happened here? This Dragonslayer isn't taking advantage of you, is he, Lucy?"

"No, Leo," Lucy sighed, ignoring the heat that spread across her face. "We just got into a short argument last night. And Natsu's an idiot."

"I am not! Lucy's just selfish."

"I am not _selfish_! You're just a unchilvalrous jerk!" Lucy stopped and took a deep breath when she realized that Leo was trying not to laugh at their bickering. "Anyway, that's beside the point. We're in Shirotsume and we need some information about your friend and what happened so we can find them."

"Her," Leo corrected. "My friend is a woman. Her name is Virgo which is, ironically, the key she's possessed. She's taken care of me since I was very little."

"So she's like a mom to you," Lucy whispered. "That's so sweet."

Leo's eyes flashed behind his sunglasses. "Something like that."

"So...you said that Duke Everlue was her holder?"

"When I was last here. And I'm willing to bet that he still has her. Virgo is a very eager-to-please kind of person. She's worked as a maid her entire life. That's all she knows, and she excels at it. She's the best."

"I'm sure that's exactly what Everlue wants," Natsu remarked ominously. "The best."

"Yes, well, from what I know Everlue has had some trouble with maids in the past," Leo sighed. "When I was here last time a woman who owned a florist shop said that he'd hired four consecutive maids before Virgo. Everyone just assumed that he kept them employed, but when she was delivering some flowers there were no maids but Virgo. No one knows what happened to the others."

"Freaky," Lucy shuddered. "That florist might be a good lead if she still delivers flowers to Everlue. Do you know where she works?"

"Sure, I could take you."

"Let's go; wait, are you okay to go outside?"

Leo smiled. "Yes, I am. With my sunglasses, no one will recognize me."

Lucy momentarily wondered if anyone would notice Leo with or without the sunglasses - he'd been in the Celestial Spirit world for over two years, and unless he was some kind of celebrity it wasn't like everyone on the street would have recognized him anyway. Before she could ask he was holding the door open with a smile. "After you."

Leo took them down the block with a deceptively relaxed but quick stride, hands in his pockets, easy posture. His eyes, though, were roaming the streets with perceptive suspicion, assessing every passerby and dark alley. Natsu was visibly tense, scowling at the poverty around him. "Was it like this last time you were here?" he asked Leo.

"No. No, it wasn't." Leo gently touched the small of Lucy's back. "Stay close. We're almost there."

Lucy nodded, crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously. The way Natsu and Leo walked possessively on either side of her made her nervous more than anything. If they thought there was any danger on these streets, then there probably was.

Leo stopped and sighed, shaking his head. "I should have known."

"What?" Lucy looked around. There was nothing more than a dilapidated building with boarded up windows in front of them. "Where is it?"

"Luce, look at the sign," Natsu said sadly. Upon closer inspection, Lucy realized the sign read _Fantastic Flowers_. Under that there was another one hanging on the door. _Out of Business_.

"Oh," she breathed. "_This_ is it."

"It is. I'm afraid we're going to have to try some other means of gathering information about Duke Everlue," Leo sighed. He looked at the street around him. "Which I have no doubts will be nearly impossible."

"No one is going to talk," Natsu hissed. He stepped into threshold of the abandoned florist shop and picked up a piece of glass on the concrete. Hoodlums had thrown rocks in the windows. Between the cracks in the boards there was evidence of more destruction inside, colored glass and cracked porcelain from shattered vases. Natsu stared at the glass in the palm of his hand. He could see the reflection of his eye in it. "That bastard."

"No one on the _outside_ will talk," Lucy muttered to herself. "But maybe..."

The boys raised their eyebrows at her. "What are you thinking, Lucy?" Leo inquired.

"What if we got Duke Everlue to confess? Or what if we got proof that he's intentionally wrecking people's lives if they aren't loyal to him? Erza and Jellal said that Fried was going to look into it after his honeymoon with Mirajane. Well, they should be just about home by now. What if we got proof about Everlue's corruption and rescued Virgo at the same time? It's like killing two birds with one stone!"

"But how exactly are we going to do that?"

"Erza said that Everlue's a pervert. Maybe he could use a second maid." Lucy did a seductive pose for emphasis. "I could use my sex appeal to get him to reveal himself, at the same time looking for Virgo."

"I dunno, Lucy..." Natsu said uncertainly. "What happens when you do get proof? It's not like Fried is here in Shirotsume right now. It would take a long time to contact him, and by then you or Virgo could be in danger."

"Jellal's card!" Lucy exclaimed. "You still have it, don't you?"

"Yeah, but - "

"Okay, when I get proof then I'll use Jellal's card to contact him, and he can talk to Fried!"

"Still, it could take a couple of days for Fried to get here," Natsu pointed out. "And what about what the florist told Leo? About how all the maids mysteriously disappeared before Virgo?"

"Natsu, I'm sure I'll be fine," Lucy said. "Have some faith."

"And I will be there with her," Leo assured. "If I sense that Lucy is in any danger, I assure you I will help her. It's not a bad plan. All she really has to do is convince Duke Everlue to employ her, and she can start looking for proof. Virgo will help her, too, I'm sure."

Natsu looked reluctant. "But...what am I supposed to do?"

"Stay at the Mel Inn until it's done," Lucy said. "Sorry, Natsu, but I don't think you're going to play a big heroic part in this one. And that's okay; you deserve a vacation. Why don't you ask the people around here about Igneel? Who knows, you might get a lead."

"...Okay," Natsu relented. "I guess you're right. I haven't been very focused on Igneel. But if I get a whiff that something's up, I'm gonna check it out whether it blows your cover or not."

Lucy smiled at his pout. "Come on, let's get ready! We start tomorrow!"

Natsu and Leo followed her, less enthusiastically, back to the Mel Inn to prepare.


	65. Proposal

**Author's Note:**_ No one has guessed the fairy tale correctly yet...probably no one will until next chapter. And I've also presented you with some NaLu, as it will be fairly absent as their separation stretches on...Also, I've decided that I'm just going to publish when ever, which could be both good and bad for you readers. But don't worry, there shouldn't be more than a three-week period between chapters. Shouldn't being the operative word. One more thing: if you have the time and you're a Laxus fan or even a Gajeel fan, you should check out _**It started with hello**_ by _**Nadeshiko Redfox**_ and review. She's a budding author and she needs some encouragement and feedback!_

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><p><strong>LXVI: Proposal<strong>

Lucy rationed some of their budget and bought a maid's outfit from a moth-eaten thrift store downtown. Natsu was uncharacteristically sullen and quiet as they walked there, purchased the outfit, and headed back. Lucy didn't think much of it. He acted similarly after the Blue Pegasus incident, when he was the victim and Lucy was the one to save him. Natsu was just used to being the valiant hero. Sitting back and watching wasn't something that came naturally to him.

As a result, he was rather snappish.

"Why do you have to buy that stupid outfit anyway?" he mumbled crossly into his scarf as they walked back to their room. "It's only gonna deplete our money. We don't have enough left, you know."

"Don't worry, I only took enough for me," Lucy explained patiently. "There is plenty to get you and Happy through the week. Most likely Everlue will feed and house me if he takes me on. He might even pay me."

"And if not?"

Lucy snorted and gestured down at herself. "Please. Who could resist this?"

"I don't think you're thinking this through, Lucy," Natsu huffed.

"Fine. If he doesn't accept my proposal then I'll return the outfit and we'll find another way to rescue Virgo," Lucy sighed. "Natsu, there's really nothing to worry about. It'll be over before you know it, and then we'll be heading to Acalypha like we planned. But I _have_ to do this. It's not just for Leo and Virgo anymore. It's for this whole entire town. You've seen what Everlue's done to the place. He needs to be put to justice, and this might be the only shot we have of making that happen."

Natsu hated to admit it, but he knew Lucy was right. He didn't have to say anything; she could see the moral resignation in his eyes. She smiled and unwrapped the paper around the maid's outfit. "Find Jellal's card while I change, will you?"

With that she headed into the bathroom with her purchase, closing the door behind her. Grumbling, Natsu flopped down on the bed and grabbed his bulging pack. Jellal's little card was in there somewhere. He was pretty sure he'd stuffed it in one of the pockets after Lucy handed it to him.

"Good luck," Happy remarked, eyeing the overflowing luggage. "When was the last time you cleaned that thing out, Natsu? And how much does it weigh?"

"More than you," Natsu said, unceremoniously tipping it upside down and spilling the contents on the bed. An assortment of clothes, batons, papers, crumbs, and other miscellaneous items soon covered the faded blanket.

"Do you keep _everything_, Natsu?" Happy exclaimed. Of the items there included the black mask he wore to Fried's party in Magnolia, a piece of metal gate from Iron Rose Castle, and a towel with the Blue Pegasus insignia stitched on the corner in deep blue thread.

"No, it somehow manages to find its way into my pack and stays there. Besides, I like souvenirs," Natsu said. He began shifting through the crumpled papers. Among those were maps of Fiore, news clippings depicting sightings of dragon-like creatures, a hastily written IOU from Erza for a duel, an invitation to the Magnolia masquerade, receipts from Bisca's Boutique, Alzack's Accessories & Ammunition, Super Express Restaurant, and other places they'd been.

"Hey, Natsu, look at this," Happy said, waving the Dragonslayer over to a little pile of crumpled up trash. At closer inspection Natsu realized that the papers were actually what remained of the notes Jose Porla wrote on Lucy and her powers.

"I'm surprised these lasted so long," Natsu comment, smoothing the papers.

"No...I think...there's something bugging me about them..." Happy muttered, his big eyes skimming the words. They got progressively wider as he read. "Hey! This is it!"

"What?"

"These notes! I think this is where we all remembered Duke Everlue's name from. He's in Jose's notes!"

"No way!" Natsu exclaimed, squinting at the scrawl. "Why would he be in Jose's notes about Lucy?"

"Well, Duke Everlue does have a key which has to do with Celestial magic. Maybe he was looking into that." Happy frowned at the page. "It's about how Lucy created Lyra."

"We've already read all that," Natsu sighed impatiently. "He's not in there."

"No, he's not...but Natsu, I think...do you remember Jose's rant to Lucy, when he told her about her mom and stuff?"

"Not at all. I was flung out of the tower, remember?"

"Right. Well, he was telling her about Lyra, and then he started explaining the golden Zodiac keys...he told Lucy about a perverse polititian in Shirtsume Town. I think that's where I remember Everlue's name."

"So? What does that have to do with anything?" Natsu huffed. "You said it yourself: Duke Everlue possesses a key, so it's only natural that Jose asked him stuff about Celestial magic."

"But he told us that he recognized the maid in the key - Virgo - because he'd purchased her once before."

"Okay?"

"And Leo said that Virgo took care of him since he was really little. How can that be?"

"Well, Leo has been imprisoned for over two years," Natsu said. "It's possible that if she is the same Virgo, she became imprisoned once he reached adulthood."

"That would make him about fifteen or sixteen..." Happy said.

Natsu, who was already irritated, was beginning to become even more so. "What's your point, Happy?"

"I just think it's weird that Jose, Everlue, Lucy, and Leo are all connected by this Virgo lady," said the cat, flinging the paper back into the pile of debris. "That's all."

"It's just a coincidence," Natsu said, finally finding Jellal's card and setting it aside as he stuffed everything back into his sack. He felt momentarily guilty about snapping at his friend - after all, it wasn't Happy's fault that Lucy had decided to go on this stupid mission alone - but it was replaced with a new flare of agitation when Lucy stepped out of the bathroom in her skimpy maid outfit, a fitted black dress with fluffy white frills.

She struck another pose, wiggling her eyebrows. "What do you think, boys?"

"You look fabulous," Natsu retorted with a hint of sarcasm, holding out the card for her to take. "You've got your keys, right?"

"Yes," Lucy said, lifting up her skirts to display the garter that her keys were hooked on. Natsu nodded and, before Lucy could protest, stuffed the card in the garter between the leather and the skin of her thigh.

"There. Make sure you don't lose that."

Lucy gave him a look as she released her skirts and concealed the garter. He was pouting again. "Natsu," she began, "it's going to be okay. I'll be okay. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do, Luce," Natsu said, shooting her a smile. Maybe this was something he needed to hear. "I trust you. You're my nakama."

"Exactly." Lucy grinned back. "It'll be over before you know it, and then we'll be on our way to Acalypha again. And we'll have saved Virgo, and Shirotsume, and maybe even Igneel. You never know."

"Igneel's a dragon," Natsu scoffed. "He doesn't need saving."

Lucy's smile widened. "It must run in the family." Impulsively she stood up on her toes and kissed Natsu's cheek. He reeled back, astonished, as she grabbed her pack and strode out the door. "I'll be back soon, Natsu," she declared. "You'll see."

The Dragonslayer blinked as the door closed behind her. Happy popped up beside him, looking cross. "She didn't even say goodbye to me, and you get a kiss on the cheek," he complained. "I think she likes you better."

Natsu didn't reply. He knew that Lucy was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, and even he had to admit that he felt a little like a mother hen worrying about her. She would be fine. She had Leo and Jellal's card and maybe even Virgo on her side. Lucy was going to be fine.

Still, the terrible heavy knot in his stomach remained.

* * *

><p>Lucy was experiencing the same knot as she walked tentatively down the busiest street in Shirotsume, one that led directly to the middle of the town and to Duke Everlue's ornate home, Daybreak Castle. They had seen it during their hunt for a decent hotel, and even upon her second view Lucy couldn't help but gape at its gaudiness. Every square inch was decorated with an engraving, enamel, a shingle, a shutter, a light, a statue; <em>something<em>. It was utterly overwhelming, more so than Blue Pegasus Woodland Resort, Fairy Tail Castle, Raijinshuu Castle, and Phantom Lord Castle combined. It probably cost just as much too, Lucy thought bitterly. She couldn't imagine what the inside might look like. If it was anything like its exterior, the furniture in one room would be enough to feed Everlue's entire desolate town for a week.

_And they can't find any proof that he's corrupt?_ Lucy scoffed. _This castle alone is proof enough! _Immediately she felt guilty; if Erza couldn't prove it, then Everlue must have found some impossible loophole.

She stopped at the gate, made up of the most delicate wrought-iron curlicues she'd ever laid eyes on. It looked so fragile that she was almost afraid to touch it, but she had a feeling that it was deceptively unyielding.

There was a small metal button with Everlue's crest, a sunset - or was it a sunrise? - on the ocean, engraved in the gleaming silver. Lucy peered down at it curiously. She had never seen the ocean, but the engraving was so realistic and beautiful...now she wished she could! Perhaps they would pass it on their way to Acalypha and she and Natsu could watch a sunset like this.

Lucy shook her head to clear it. Now was not the time! The anxious ball in her stomach writhed. How did she expect to trick this famously cunning Duke Everlue when she had so little experience with the world? Only a few months had passed since it welcomed her in its busy, dangerous embrace. In seventeen years, almost everything she knew she learned from books or from Natsu.

_Deep breaths, Lucy_, she told herself. _Just remember what you promised Natsu: it'll be okay. You wouldn't lie to him. You can do it_. With new confidence, she pressed the small metal button.

Gongs sounded through the entrance of Daybreak Castle. Some people passing in the street turned with alarm, then scattered as the sound of the gongs faded into the air. Lucy shuffled her feet. Duke Everlue must not have many visitors.

At the end of the brick path inside the castle's domain Lucy saw one of the copper-plated doors open. A woman stepped out; she was slim and elegant, with pale skin that didn't see much sunlight and spiky fair hair with a pinkish hue. Lucy noticed she was in a maid's outfit, although it was much more tasteful than her own.

Virgo silently walked down the brick path with measured poise. It took her about two minutes to reach Lucy, who was practically dancing with eagerness by the time the maid came to a halt on the other side of the gate.

"Good morning, miss. What business do you have with Master Everlue?" said Virgo in a low, monotone voice. Her eyes were a wide and unseeing light blue. If Virgo was skeptical of Lucy's appearance, she didn't show it. For a moment Lucy wondered if Virgo was blind, but realized that the maid was looking right at her, waiting for her to speak.

"I was just passing by and I heard that Master Everlue might be in need of another maid," Lucy said in her most cheerful voice, adopting Virgo's title for Everlue. It sounded more respectful and personal than Duke.

"There are no positions open," Virgo said without infliction. She turned on her heel and began to walk back. "Good day, miss."

"Wait!" Lucy cried. Virgo paused, turned, and blinked at her. Lucy swallowed and bit her lip. Now what? "Well...um, could you just make sure? I really need the job. Please?"

Virgo blinked again, slowly. "Very well. Follow me and if Master Everlue wishes to see you then you shall be seen." Virgo waved her hand and the gates opened, much to Lucy's astonishment. She turned in the same fashion as before and began walking up the path to Daybreak Castle at a brisk pace. Lucy had to jog to catch up.

There was something distinctly cold and distant about this Celestial Spirit. For a moment, Lucy doubted that she was even Leo's Virgo at all. What if Everlue disposed of the key, or if the Virgo had somehow been switched for another? This woman was as different from warm, flirtatious Leo as the moon was from the sun.

Virgo opened the copper door and waited for Lucy to enter. She gaped as she did so, treading with careful, tentative steps. The inside of Everlue's castle exceeded her expectations. The parlor was polished until every surface glittered. The floor was creamy white marble, as were the pillars that supported the arched cathedral ceiling that was painted with a mural of clouds and fat cherubs. A crystal chandelier the size of a small carriage hung from the middle. The windows were stained glass, each depicting Everlue's crest.

Lucy caught her breath as Virgo closed the door. The wealth of this place almost made her want to cry when she compared it to the destitution of the streets outside.

"Miss," Virgo said. Lucy blinked, wondered how many times Virgo had tried to get her attention. It was impossible to tell; the maid's voice was still emotionless.

"Sorry, yes?"

"Please wait here while I speak with Master Everlue." Virgo waited once more, staring at Lucy until she nodded her head in dismissal. The maid clicked down the parlor and disappeared down a corridor.

It was several minutes before Lucy once again heard two footsteps coming from that same hallway. Virgo's dainty click was overshadowed by the heavy tread of another. Lucy let out a breath and set her shoulders. That must have been Duke Everlue.

They emerged from the mouth of the corridor. Lucy watched as a short, round, balding man made is way over to her. He had a devilish mustache protruding from each nostril, and a single large red button holding his expensive black suit together. Altogether he did not seem very intimidating, but Lucy knew he was probably as deceiving as the wrought iron gate outside.

He stopped in front of her, twirling his mustache. Lucy curtseyed with grace. If there was one benefit from living in isolation with Jose, it was that he taught her etiquette for when she matured and lived with him in Phantom Lord.

"What do you want?" Everlue asked brashly. Lucy swallowed a retort as she straightened from her curtsey and smiled dazzlingly. Already she wanted to wring his fat little neck.

"Good morning, Master Everlue. My name is Luc...ille. Lucille Dragneel. I came to inquire about a maid position rumored to be vacant."

"Does it look like I need another maid?" Everlue said, gesturing around. Lucy had to admit that it didn't. Every surface was spotless and sparkling. Virgo really was the best.

"The grandeur of your dwelling leaves nothing to be desired, I must say, Master Everlue, but I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to work within your payroll," Lucy murmured. Even to her, her dialect sounded a bit outrageous, but every maid she'd ever read about sounded like this. Hopefully it would work.

Everlue considered her, still twirling is brown mustache. Lucy blushed when she noticed that he was shamelessly staring directly at her chest, which bulged from the tight maid outfit. She stifled the urge to cross her arms. Weakness, shame, and embarrassment were unacceptable.

"I will consider hiring you," Everlue finally said, raising his to Lucy's face, "if you can answer one question."

"Thank you, Master Everlue," Lucy sighed, curtseying. "Ask me anything, Master Everlue." In her head: _nothing about sex, nothing about sex, nothing about sex_...

The duke pointed to a window. Unlike the metal button at the gate, the glass was stained with vibrant colors: the yellow orb of the sun, the orange-pink of the sky, blues and greens of the ocean. It was breathtaking. "If you can tell me what my crest depicts, then I will hire you."

Lucy raised her eyebrows. It seemed an easy enough question. Obviously it was a sunset on the ocean. But surely it couldn't be that simple. Nothing was ever that simple. She squinted closely at the window and thought. It was definitely the sun on the ocean...but perhaps it wasn't a sunset...perhaps it was, as she'd thought, a sunrise...and Everlue's castle was called Daybreak. But what was the significance?

It didn't matter. She had her answer. "A sunrise on the ocean, Master Everlue."

Everlue smiled, showing every one of his hideous white teeth. For a moment Lucy was afraid she'd guessed wrong, but then Everlue stopped twirling his mustache and dropped his hand to his side. "Welcome to Daybreak Castle, Lucille," he said. "Try not to disappoint me."

Lucy hid her relief and curtseyed for a third time as he walked away, back down the dark corridor he'd come. "Thank you, Master Everlue. I am honored to be in your service. And don't worry - I won't."


	66. Utter Loyalty

**Author's Note:**_ We've got a correct answer! There were a lot of really good ones, but _TheHarmonyAlliance_ guessed correctly. The fairy tale is indeed _Bluebeard_. I must say, I'm rather impressed since this story is so loosely related to the original fairy tale in the beginning. I thought it would take a lot longer for someone to guess right. So congrats, _TheHarmonyAlliance! _Also, I'm aware that in Fairy Tail Duke Everlue had a perverse sense of beauty, but I made an exception to fit this story. It's something that I rarely ever do because I detest OOC-ness in non-crack fics, but it seemed like such a minor detail that I made an exception._

* * *

><p><strong>LXVII: Utter Loyalty <strong>

As Lucy had predicted, Duke Everlue provided her with room and board. Or rather, he instructed Virgo to do it.

It seemed like Virgo did just about everything around Daybreak Castle. Lucy hardly ever saw Everlue emerge from his office, and when he did it was to eat or sleep or gawk at his beautiful maids. Apparently he was a very hard-working man.

As far as companions went, Virgo wasn't perfect, but as the day flew by Lucy grew used to her staring eyes and austere behavior. Virgo worked mechanically, almost like a robot, never procrastinating on any duty or slacking off. Lucy was often scrambling to complete the tasks Virgo assigned her, and even then her quality of work was mediocre at best. Virgo didn't mind. She just corrected Lucy's mistakes before heading off to do something else.

There was _plenty _to do. Not only were they responsible for the cleanliness of Daybreak Castle, but they also handled the upkeep of the gardens, cared for the horses and hounds, organized paperwork, prepared Everlue's meals, brought him his meals, laid out his clothes, and basically did anything he asked. Lucy didn't know how Virgo could handle it herself. She was so much more than a maid. She embodied efficiency.

Baring witness to this unnatural stamina, Lucy began to fear for herself. What if Everlue realized how useless she was compared to Virgo? What would he do to her?

When they brought him his evening meal, Lucy discovered she didn't have to worry about that. Everlue asked Virgo for a report on her performance, and she told him the truth: that Lucy performed her duties well enough, but was not even close to matching Virgo's skill. Everlue considered this for a moment, then shrugged.

"We'll keep her," he declared, cutting into a juicy steak with a silver knife. He glanced up at Lucy and grinned in a way that made her feel akin to the slab of meat. "She's got a nice rack."

Lucy blushed indignantly but said nothing. Neither did Virgo. Everlue promptly dismissed them, and was well into his work by the time Lucy came to collect his dirty dishes.

It was somewhat of a relief. If she didn't mess up too much, she would be safe. At the same time, she wanted to slap the vile little smirk off of his pudgy face. If all went well, she would have that opportunity.

The exchange inspired another question: exactly how loyal was Virgo to Duke Everlue? He didn't seem to treat her cruelly; in fact, he treated her with a measure of respect that went beyond employer and employee, that he had yet to show to Lucy. He had kept her for over two years, so he must have been satisfied by her companionship to some degree. Likewise, Virgo seemed blindly obedient. Perhaps it was simply her nature, but it posed an unforeseen problem. Lucy had expected a mistreated and abused maid ready to rebel against her master in order to obtain her freedom. But she wasn't sure that Virgo even _wanted _freedom. The Celestial Spirit seemed perfectly content taking orders from Duke Everlue, and while Leo might tip the scales in Lucy's favor, she didn't know enough about Virgo or her relationship with Leo to judge whether his involvement might keep Virgo from reporting to Everlue.

As night descended on Daybreak Castle, Virgo led Lucy to her room. It was on the bottom floor, simple and small but well furnished, with a tiny rectangular window just wide enough for Lucy to put her hand through.

"This will be where you sleep," Virgo stated, watching Lucy with her bird-like gaze. "Work begins tomorrow morning at dawn. Go to the kitchen to eat breakfast, and we will begin our day with polishing the silver wear. Master Everlue is expecting guests within the next week or so, and he needs things to be flawless."

"Guests? Who's coming?"

"King Fried Justine and his newly taken wife."

Lucy couldn't help the smile that lit up her face. "Fried and Mirajane are coming? That's fantastic news!"

"Oh," Virgo said, tilting her head. "You know the King and Queen personally, then?"

Lucy silently cursed. How could she have let that slip? "Excuse my outburst, but I worked at a small bed-and-breakfast in Magnolia that the Queen's siblings own. She visited quite often."

"They fired you?"

"No, I quit. I needed new surroundings," Lucy sighed. She wished Virgo would stop asking so many questions. It was already dark out, and the manual labor of the day had left her exhausted.

"Are you, then, going to 'quit' once you tire of Shirotsume Town?" Virgo asked. Her voice had no critical intention, just the distant pragmatic lilt she utilized for everything.

"I don't think I'll get tired of it here. I like it," Lucy lied. "And I'm very lucky to get this job. I wouldn't throw it away carelessly. Speaking of which, Virgo, why don't you tell me a little about yourself? How long have you worked here?"

"Nearly two years."

"How is Duke Everlue as a boss?"

"Master Everlue is my master," Virgo replied.

Lucy quirked an eyebrow. "Right...well, I mean, is he nice to you?"

"He is my master."

"Okay...what did you do before you started working here?"

For the first time, Lucy saw something about Virgo change. Her eyes grew fuzzy, as if trying to recall a memory. "I do not remember. Master Everlue found me at his gate two years ago with an injury to my head. I cannot remember anything about my past."

"Oh," Lucy gasped. Leo hadn't told her that. "I'm so sorry."

Virgo only shrugged. "It is of no consequence. I work here now."

"Do you actually _like _working here, Virgo?"

"I work here now," the maid repeated. She seemed adamant on giving unbiased, obvious facts instead of honest answers. "It matters not if I like it. I'm off to bed, miss, unless you have another question."

"No, I don't. And you know, you can call me Lucy. We're friends."

"We're friends..." Virgo murmured. "Loo-see."

Lucy smiled. "Exactly!"

"Then good night, Miss Lucy, my friend."

"Yeah, night Virgo," Lucy sighed. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry. Virgo's stubborn attempts at stiff politeness were extremely exasperating.

The maid turned on her heel and left, closing the door with a soft click behind her. Lucy waited for a few minutes before she hiked up her skirt and unhooked Leo's key from her garter. After a whispered incantation, he appeared in his usual suit and sunglasses. He raised his eyebrows when he took in her attire. "Nice outfit."

"Shut up, it was necessary," Lucy remarked with a blush.

"No, no, I like it. Can I borrow it sometime?"

"Virgo might let you borrow hers."

Leo's eyes flashed, suddenly serious and intent. "You talked with Virgo?"

"Yeah, all day. Everlue took me in as a maid, so I work with her now. Why didn't you tell me she was such a machine? I mean, seriously, I can barely keep up with half of what she does!"

"Her powers are most likely enhanced by her status as a Celestial Spirit," Leo explained. "Since she's Virgo the Maiden, it is her top priority to please her key holder. If being an efficient maid is what Everlue wants, then that's what she'll do."

"That does complicate things then," Lucy muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"If what you say is true, then Virgo is never going to talk to me. I'm willing to bet that one of the things Everlue prizes most of all is loyalty, especially with his shady business. He wants someone he can trust with everything, and since Virgo is essentially designed to please him, she's going to be utterly loyal."

"That's true," Leo admitted. "I didn't think of that. So I take it you haven't told her anything?"

"Nothing. I tried to poke around her brain a little bit, but you failed to mention that she's suffering a case of amnesia," Lucy scolded.

"Amnesia?" Leo repeated, confused. "What amnesia?"

"She told me that she doesn't remember anything before she came here to Shirotsume. Said that Everlue found her at his gate with a serious concussion."

"That can't be right," Leo dismissed. "First of all, Virgo was a key long before she ever came here. She was part of the reason I left...well, I mean, I went looking for her a while ago, but she was gone for at least a year beforehand. And Everlue's not exactly the kind of guy who would take an injured young woman into his home, treat her, and give her a job, no matter how pretty she is. I'm honestly surprised that he even took you in."

"It was surprisingly easy," Lucy pondered. "I just answered a few questions and he let me stay. He said it was because I have a nice figure."

"Can't argue there."

Lucy gave him a look. "So why don't you think Virgo can't remember anything? Or do you think she was lying because she didn't want me prying into her personal life?"

"No, Virgo doesn't lie unless her master specifically asks her to," Leo said. "I'm more willing to bet that it's another subconscious way to please Everlue. He didn't like that she had a past taking care of me, so she suppressed her memories. Or maybe he brainwashed her after he got her key. Either way, I'm certain that she truly believes that's what happened to her." He deflated a little. "She doesn't remember me at all."

Lucy put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "We'll find a way to make her remember. Until then, though, I can't rely on her help. And I need to find some dirt on Everlue within a few days. Fried and Mirajane are on their way to visit him, so I'd like to have some information by the time they get here."

"Of course," Leo said. "That seems like the best course of action anyway. Once Everlue is behind bars, Virgo will need a new key holder."

Lucy smiled. "I'll be happy to have her."

"But first, the dirt. Any ideas?"

"None," Lucy sighed. "I cleaned this whole house, top to bottom, everywhere except for his office. And he's in there all the time."

"That's probably where the dirt is," Leo said.

"Probably."

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do?"

"None at all," Lucy huffed. "But I'll think of something. It's only day one."

Leo gave her a charismatic smile. "I'm only a chant away if you need anything."

"Thanks, Leo," Lucy said, returning his smile. He winked before wavering into a silhouette of yellowish light and disappearing back into the Celestial Spirit World. Lucy took his key and hooked it back on the key ring. Then she unhooked another. "_Open, the Gate of the White Dog! Nikora!_"

Quivering, adorable little Plue popped into her room. Lucy squealed and crushed him into an embrace. "Plue! I'm so sorry, it's been forever since I've summoned you! Oh, I wish I could just cuddle up with you and take a nap, or feed you candy, or something. But I have something I need you to do."

Plue nodded vigorously in her breast, accepting the duty. Lucy placed him on the bed and searched for some paper and a pen. When she eventually found some, she scribbled a message on it and handed it to Plue. "Deliver this to Natsu for me, okay? He's in the Mel Inn, room C3. Come back as soon as you're done, and be very careful not to get caught."

Plue nodded again before hopping off the bed and padding over to the window, where he feebly hopped around until Lucy opened it and picked him up. After handing him the note and getting his round head through the window, she gently dropped him into the bushes below. She heard him wiggle his way out and watched his small white form crawl across the manicured lawn and slip between the iron gates, out of sight down the street.

Lucy changed out of her tight maid costume and shimmied under the blankets of her bed. She would have to wait up until Plue came back so she could send him back to the Spirit World, and even though she had an early, early morning tomorrow, it would be worth the exhaustion to ensure that Natsu knew she was relatively safe for the time being. He must have been worried sick about her, after all.

* * *

><p>A knock on the door woke Natsu from his deep slumber mid-snore. He bleakly blinked sleep out of his eyes and stumbled over to the door, fumbling for the knob. As soon as he opened it, a small white shape tackled his legs. He yawned and peered more closely at it, scooping it up by the scruff off the neck until he recognized the nervous, urgent quivering.<p>

"Plue?" he said, squinting his eyes at the white dog. "What are you doing here?"

Plue squirmed his way out of Natsu's grasp and landed on the floor with a soft thump. Eyes spinning, he held up a folded piece of paper. Natsu bent down and retrieved it, Happy drifting over to read over his shoulder.

"It's a message from Lucy," Natsu said, momentarily alarmed. He looked at Plue. "Is she in trouble?"

Plue shook his head and pointed at the paper. Natsu opened it up and scanned the first line, then scoffed at the message. " _'Natsu_,' " he read out loud, " '_please don't worry, I'm fine. Everlue took me in as a maid and I am now working with Virgo. Fried and Mirajane are visiting Everlue in a few days, and I'm going to try to get some information before then. Virgo doesn't remember anything about her past, so she's not going to be any help, but Leo and I are hoping that once Everlue's arrested and she's in my care her memories will start coming back to her. I just wanted to let you know there's nothing to worry about and I've got everything under control. Send Plue back as soon as you get this; he can't be out too long or he'll start to fade again. Love, Lucy.' _"

"Obviously," Happy said.

"Why would she send this? Plue could have gotten caught and she could have been discovered!"

Plue gave an indignant little noise.

"She needed to tell you about Fried and Mirajane," Happy reasoned. "Besides, she probably thought you'd worry about her and come busting into Daybreak Castle if she didn't write you."

"Do you guys have no faith in my restraint?" Natsu inquired.

"Aye, none."

"Well, whatever," Natsu scoffed. "I know she's safe and about Fried and Mirajane, so it's all good. I don't know what she's gonna do now that Virgo's not on her side though."

"She's got Leo. She'll think of something, I'm sure," Happy said.

"Sure," Natsu sighed. He squatted and pet Plue on the head. "Sorry for yelling at you. Thanks for bringing this. When we leave this place, I'll get you a nice lollipop."

Plue gave an excited shudder and bowed before trotting out the door and into the hallway, presumably to go back to Daybreak Castle. Natsu closed the door behind him and flopped into bed. The one next to the window, where he could see the top spires of the castle peeking out from the shambles of the town. He rolled over so he was facing the window. Was Lucy housed in one of them?

He fell asleep with the letter clutched in his fist.


	67. Curiosity

**LXVII: Curiosity**

Duke Everlue squinted as he inspected the tip of his finger industrially. He pursed his lips and rubbed his index finger and thumb together, then turned to the two maids who were standing obediently by, waiting for the verdict of his inspection.

"Acceptable," Everlue decreed, looking around the spotless ballroom. Virgo and Lucy had worked even harder these last two days, trying to get Daybreak Castle in top shape for the King and Queen's arrival. Every square inch of the castle, even Everlue's office - although Virgo had been the one to clean it - was polished until it shone. The best ingredients were purchased for the banquet. Withering summer flora was replaced with hardier autumn flowers, chrysanthemums and tulips and daffodils, plants that could withstand frost on the ground and chill in the air. Thick, bold bunches of magnolia blossoms were shipped in from an orchard in honor of the royal couple, placed in vases around the castle. Everything was pristine.

Fried and Mirajane were scheduled to arrive within the next two days. Duke Everlue was departing that afternoon for standard tax collecting around the town, and would be back tomorrow.

"I want everything to remain perfect until my return," he told his maids. "The royal couple must be impressed. I want to be in favor of them, especially the queen if you know what I mean."

Virgo nodded. These orders, except the detail about Queen Mirajane, were quite standard. Tax collecting was every three months in Shirotsume. Those who couldn't pay gave up some possession of their duke's choosing: a priceless family heirloom, a wagon, a horse. Occasionally even their home. If there was nothing left to give, then they were arrested and placed in prison to work. At least in prison they _got_ work, although they were paid only in meals. It was more than the citizens on the streets were privileged.

Beside her, Miss Lucy's fists were clenched in her dress. No matter what she said or how she acted, Virgo got the feeling that Lucille Dragneel did not particularly care for her master, that she had an ulterior motive for doing this job. Master Everlue had confided in her that he suspected the same, and ordered her to keep a close eye on the new recruit. "If she's anything like her mother, she's trouble. _Lucille_," he had scoffed, "is that the best she can come up with?"

Virgo wasn't certain what he'd been talking about, but it was not her place to ask. Had he known Miss Lucy's mother? Perhaps that was why he had taken her under his roof. If this was so, and he had not trusted Miss Lucy's mother, then why allow her work? It was above Virgo's understanding.

"Lucille, you're dismissed," Everlue said, shooing the blonde away. "I have no more work for you to do."

Lucy bowed politely and clicked away. Virgo stood in attention, waiting for her next orders. She could sense that Lucy was still present, hovering behind a pillar, eavesdropping. She supposed that she should alert Master Everlue, but didn't see the point. She already knew what Master Everlue was going to say to her.

He dug around in his pocket, pulled out a keyring overloaded with keys - big ones, small ones, brass ones, silver ones, even a golden one - and handed it to her. "You know the drill," he said. "Keep this little beauty safe at all costs, don't open the closet in my office."

"Yes, master," Virgo uttered. She grabbed his suitcases and followed him out to the indigo carriage, pulled by a white stallion and embellished in gold with the Daybreak insignia. She hoisted his luggage into the back and nodded politely at the coachmen, who winked and tipped his hat at her.

Everlue wiggled his way into the carriage, plopping down on the expensive velvet-upholstered seat with a comfortable sigh. "I'll be back tomorrow. Be a good little maiden and don't get into any trouble, you hear?"

"Yes, master."

"Alright, man, what's the hold up? Let's get a move on, I got taxes to collect!"

The coachman stiffly snapped the reigns and the stallion took off down the street at a gallop. Virgo closed the delicate wrought iron gate and turned on her heel in her customary manner, clicking down the walk way. Lucy was waiting for her in the parlor, wringing her hands anxiously.

"So it's just the two of us, huh, Virgo?" the blonde said cordially, flashing Virgo a disarming smile.

"It is just the two of us until Master Everlue returns on the morrow," Virgo replied. She knew she was supposed to like Lucy, since the other maid had said they were friends. Virgo didn't think she'd ever had a friend, unless it was before her accident. Master Everlue certainly wasn't her friend. She didn't like Master Everlue, although she couldn't bring herself to dislike him either.

But was Miss Lucy her friend? She was a good deal kinder than Master Everlue, but that could have been an act. Miss Lucy was deceiving her, lying to her about something, or so Master Everlue implied. Friends, as far as Virgo knew, weren't deceptive to one another.

However, there was something about Lucille Dragneel that was almost comforting, something that Virgo couldn't quite comprehend. Something...familiar? Maybe. It could have just been all in her head.

"What do you want to do?" Lucy asked.

"What I usually do, I suppose," said Virgo. "Go to sleep."

Lucy raised her eyebrows. "Sleep? It's not even dark outside yet. Why don't we go do something fun, just the two of us?"

"Fun? We cannot abandon the castle; it is our duty to guard it."

"Fine, then we'll have fun in the castle. Have you ever gone exploring, Virgo?"

Virgo frowned. "Exploring? We clean the castle from top to bottom every day. I do not think that we will find any new treasure through exploring. You have only been here for a few days and you've seen nearly every square inch."

"Not quite," Lucy corrected. "I haven't seen Master Everlue's office."

"Yes, you have," Virgo insisted. "You bring him dinner. Besides, there is nothing utterly remarkable about Master Everlue's office. And it is his private area. We are not permitted to go there without his prior approval."

"Come on, Virgo, we're having fun, remember?"

Virgo noted the mischievous glint in Lucy's eye. It was her opinion that the other maid had more than just naïve, innocent fun in mind. "Miss Lucy, you were eavesdropping on my conversation with Master Everlue."

"What can I say?" Lucy shrugged. It would be foolish to deny it, since it was true, and Virgo's statement was just that: a statement, not a question. It was clear by her tone that she knew it to be fact. "I'm a curious soul."

"I am not."

"Come on, you can't tell me that you're not at least a little bit curious to see what Everlue's hiding from us?" Lucy said enticingly. "What he's hiding from _you_? He's never shown you what's in that closet, has he?"

"No," Virgo admitted.

"And you want to know what's in there, don't you?"

Virgo couldn't lie. "Yes."

"Well, you have the key! He doesn't have to know that we peaked," Lucy pointed out. She looped her arm through Virgo's and attempted to drag her down the corridor to Everlue's office, but Virgo remained rooted to the spot. Lucy frowned. "Virgo, it's no big deal. I'm sure it can't be too bad if he willingly gave you the key."

"He gives me the keys to all the rooms in the castle when he is away."

"See? It can't be any different from any other room. Tell you what, if we get caught you can just pin the blame on me."

"I though you said we wouldn't get caught?"

"I'm just speaking hypothetically," Lucy sighed.

"No, Miss Lucy, I am afraid I cannot disobey my master," Virgo said with a note of finality. Lucy wilted but relented as Virgo clicked to her room.

However, the seed of doubt began to root in Virgo's mind when she stepped into her room and suddenly realized that she hardly ever slept there.

She sat on her bed, and it was unfamiliar. She fingered the layer of the dust on her nightstand, knew that she would never allow it to become this filthy if she slept here. Realized that she had little to no memory outside of arriving for breakfast in the kitchens at dawn, outside of stepping into this room before sleep, no life but her chores around the castle. Virgo could not even recall getting out of her bed this morning.

It was a terrifying prospect.

Was it lingering amnesia? Virgo didn't think so, although logic told her that was the most reasonable explanation. Despite the fact, her mind was rejecting it, dismissing it and rapidly looking for other solutions. There was a mental block on everything; she could remember nothing, nothing except this badgering notion about Lucy.

Slowly, her hand crept to the key ring. The key, the small brass one that she hardly dared look at. Could it be that the reason Lucy's presence was so unsettling is that it made Virgo question Master Everlue's motives? That she was suddenly...curious?

Virgo shook her head and dropped the key. This was preposterous! She had served Master Everlue for nearly two years, and he had never given her reason to be suspicious of him.

Or...had he? He had never given her a reason to trust him; she had just blindly done so. He had never shown her any kindness or much respect, or ever tried to befriend her. And how often had Virgo been forced to turn beggars away, people who desperately needed the wealth that Everlue accumulated from them? Master Everlue certainly was in little need of it. How did he get all this money, anyway? Why did he go on so many "business trips"? And what about the Titania's investigation just a few months back, or the King and Queen's spontaneous visit?

The idea leaked slowly through the cracks the seed's roots had made in the foundation of denial Virgo had paved in her mind. What if Duke Everlue was not telling her the truth?

Virgo's fingers again brushed the brass key. All the answers could be in that secret, forbidden closet. And he would never even have to know she visited it. No one would be there as a witness.

Every fiber of Virgo's being revolted against the idea of disobeying the duke, but she stood and walked out of her room. She treaded down the hallway, into Everlue's office.

It was just as he left it. Neat and orderly, with half of his affairs laid out plainly on the desktop, half tucked away in various safes, drawers, books on the shelf with their middles cut out. Virgo froze in the threshold, eyeing the nearly invisible closet door. It was a hairline cut-out in the wall behind the desk, about four feet wide and six feet tall. Virgo had never questioned its existence before, not like she did now.

She shook her head and backed out. No, no, this was wrong! It was not her place as a maid to question the authority of her master!

But what if there was something important behind that door? It must have been awfully important, for Everlue not to trust even Virgo with its contents. Perhaps it was best if she did look at it. It wasn't like she was going to tell anyone. She would never betray the duke's trust.

Slowly, Virgo took a step forward. Then another. Then another. After ten steps, she was in front of the door. She pulled back the latch, revealed the keyhole. Lifted the key. Placed it inside. Turned. _Click_.

Virgo took a deep breath. She pushed the door open.

No words could adequately describe the horror of what she found in that closet. It was a room without lights or windows, but enough light shot forth from the doorway to see. There were seven skeletons lined up in handcuffs on the wall. The floor was covered in puddles of dried blood, brownish stains that smelled awful. Virgo reeled backward and stifled a scream with her fist. Even someone as apathetic as she was couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The worst part?

On each and every one of the skeletons draped a ragged maid's outfit.

Virgo felt like throwing up. Of course. These were her predecessors, the ones who had mysteriously disappeared. Everlue had chained them in the room, tormented them, let them die, kept their bodies as trophies. He was not just a scheming, corrupt duke. He was a murderer.

What would Everlue do to her if he knew she'd discovered this?

Oh, oh no. He could never know. If Virgo was to stay alive, he could never know she was here. Slowly she forced herself into composure, steeled herself as she turned to face the bodies. The key. Where was the key? She needed to lock this door and never open it again.

Virgo had dropped the key in her fright. It had fallen in a stain. She pinched it between her fingers, carefully avoiding the dried blood on the floor. Then she turned from the room, closed the door, locked it behind her.

Taking one more steadying breath, Virgo strode from the room and didn't look back. The only evidence of anything having occurred was the memory that would forever haunt her, and the small brown fleck stuck to the surface of the tiny brass key.


	68. Confinement

**LXVIII: Confinement**

Lucy was close to admitting defeat.

"You can't give up," Leo consoled, lowering himself down next to her on the bed and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Lucy sighed, pressed the palms of her hands to her eyelids. It was all just so infuriating. What could she do? Virgo was entirely uncooperative and Everlue was too thorough for his own good. After nearly a week, Lucy had yet to find a shred of evidence to prosecute Everlue, and the only place that probably contained that evidence - the hidden crannies of Everlue's office - was under constant surveillance by Virgo. Her original plan had been to infiltrate Daybreak Castle, ally with Virgo, and take down Everlue while Fried and Mirajane were visiting. But Lucy had yet to uncover anything whatsoever, Virgo was devoted to Everlue down to her core, and the royal couple was coming _tomorrow_.

Now that she thought about it, Lucy had no idea how she was going to handle that situation. Fried and Mirajane would surely recognize her, raise suspicion...

Lucy took a deep breath, steeling her resolve. "Leo, I don't know what I've gotten myself into. Almost nothing has worked out as planned, Natsu's probably almost all out of money, and if I don't find _something _on Everlue than Fried and Mirajane will blow my cover when they get here. I have a day to figure something out."

"Look, I know you can do it," Leo insisted. "You got in here, didn't you? That's something. And Natsu is capable of taking care of himself. I'm sure this isn't the first time money's been tight for him. Everything will work out in the end."

Lucy smiled. Then she stiffened when she heard footsteps. "Go!" she hissed. "Go, I think someone's coming!"

Leo nodded and disappeared just as Virgo knocked on the door and brusquely stepped inside Lucy's quarters. "The master is back," she announced. Lucy stood and brushed off her skirt, then paused when she took in Virgo's appearance. There was something...off about her, about the way her lips formed the words she spoke, about the set of her shoulders and the chill in her eyes.

"Hey, Virgo, you okay?"

This only seemed to sharpen Virgo's unease. "Yes, Miss Lucy, I am fine. Come, we must greet our master upon his return." Lucy followed her as she did her military spin and clicked down the hallway. What was on Virgo's mind?

Everlue was waiting for them in the ballroom, rubbing his mustache between his thumb and forefinger as was usual of theatrical, diabolical villains. Lucy stifled the temptation to roll her eyes. Skilled with debauchery as he may be, Everlue was far from frightening, not after enduring antagonists like Jose, Laxus, and Oracion Seis.

The two maids came to a halt in front of him and curtseyed. "It's a pleasure to have you back, Master Everlue," Virgo murmured. "Would you like for us to take your bags up to your room?"

"Later," Everlue dismissed, stretching the muscles of his pudgy, short arms. "Is everything as I left it? Ship-shape and functioning like a well oiled machine?"

"Yes, master."

"Fantastic. The Justines will be arriving tomorrow, so we wouldn't want anything out of place. Lucille, you may take my bags up to my room if you please. Virgo, if you would give me back the keys? I'd like to double-check everything."

Lucy struggled to lift the outrageously heavy suitcases as Virgo reached into her apron's pocket and pulled out a key ring that jingled like wind chimes. Lucy's eyes narrowed when she noticed Virgo's shaking hand fisting at her side. Something was definitely wrong, if Virgo was somehow shaken.

She wasn't the only one who noticed Virgo's strange behavior. Everlue shifted his gaze to her face, then to the key ring. With slow, deliberate movements, he pulled a singular brass key from the mix and stared at it for what seemed like an eternity. Lucy didn't know what was going on, but she'd ceased in her efforts to lift the luggage. The tension was so thick she could cut it with a knife if she wanted.

Then, Everlue spoke.

"I am very disappointed," he said. There was genuine regret in his tone. Lucy glanced at Virgo, who was as white as a sheet. The maid was showing more emotion than Lucy had ever seen her reveal. She looked deeply, profoundly afraid. Everlue continued heedlessly. "In two years you have yet to disobey an order, Virgo, and I am very sad that your streak has ended. Perhaps if it was a minor infraction I would let you slide. But I'm afraid you've broken the most sacred rule of this castle. You've breached my privacy, and for that I must let you go."

The little brass key. Virgo's behavior. Lucy recalled the conversation about the closet yesterday and suddenly realized what happened. Virgo decided to sneak a peek. And it was all Lucy's fault for arousing her curiosity.

"Wait!" Lucy cried, completely dropping the luggage on the floor. Everlue and Virgo turned to her, surprised. "Wait, Virgo didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who opened your closet door. I just...I eavesdropped on you guys talking about it and I wanted to see what was in it."

"No," Virgo interjected, shaking her head violently. "It was me, Master Everlue, please understand that Lucy had nothing to do with this. She is not subject to punishment."

"Yes, I am! Virgo didn't do anything, she's just lying to keep me from trouble. I manipulated her into letting me have the key and then promised her not to say anything."

Everlue lifted an eyebrow at Lucy. "I must say, I'm impressed that you would so willingly take the fall for a crime that you did not commit just to rescue dear Virgo here from the consequences of her actions."

"But I'm not - "

"Save it," Everlue said, holding up a hand. "As impressed with your bravery as I am, I am less impressed with your story. There are many flaws. For one, there is no way that Virgo would have willingly let you have the key. Secondly, because of her nature, Virgo is incapable of uttering a lie to me or anyone unless I specifically request it. And lastly, Lucy Heartphilia, if you were truly aware of the secret in my closet, then all the bravery in the world would not convince you to take the blame for looking inside."

Lucy felt her blood run cold. She imagined she looked a lot like Virgo did: pale, unnerved, like prey cornered by a hunter. She figured that at this point, pretending would do her no good. "H-how do you know my name?"

"You didn't really think that I would let you serve me because you answered a simple riddle correctly, did you?" Everlue replied. "Especially when I have - excuse me, _had _- Virgo here? She is the perfect employee, capable of more work than a full staff. But then, you already knew that, didn't you, little Celestial mage?"

Lucy didn't say anything. She just scowled with unadulterated hatred at the man in front of her. There was a relief in being able to finally portray her naked emotions instead of having to choke them down with a bitter smile.

"No, I knew who you were the moment you stepped inside this castle. You look, and act, for that matter, too much like your damn mother for your own good. I grew suspicious after Jose stopped corresponding with me a few months ago, and then I heard the rumors and I knew it had to be true. When you came here, I figured I could start where he left off, accomplish what he never could. You see, he problem with Jose was that he wanted your power for his own. I have no interest in that." Everlue smiled. It sent shivers down Lucy's spine, it was so layered with malice. "I have no problem with keeping slaves at my disposal. Unfortunately, it turns out you're more trouble than you're worth. I should have just gotten rid of you when I got the chance."

Lucy saw the spark of intent in his eye and fumbled for her keys, but Everlue was faster. Within seconds he had a golden key in his hand, and Virgo shuddered beside Lucy, goosebumps rising on her arms and her head lolling back.

"I just love having utter control over a woman," Everlue said brazenly, leering. "Thanks to you I'll have to reprogram her entirely. I doubt that the memory of my closet will leave her mind with a simple reset. Oh, well."

Everything suddenly made sense to Lucy. Virgo's so-called "amnesia," her unnatural apathy, her loyalty to Everlue; he was brainwashing her, jerking her mental strings like a puppet master. He had taken everything that Virgo was and sculpted it to fit his needs. He had raped her essence, robbed her being. Lucy looked down at this little man in front of her, and he was the most disgusting thing she'd ever seen. A jolt of fierce protectiveness, of vengeance for Virgo shot through her.

"You monstrous little slimeball!" she screeched, leaping at him. This had obviously taken him off-guard, as he staggered back several paces, but he had the sense to shout for Virgo's assistance. Lucy was yanked back by arms that seemed impossibly strong. She cried out as Virgo's hands crushed her arms almost hard enough to shatter the bone. Fell to her knees in front of Everlue, glaring at him with all the hatred she could muster.

Everlue sneered back. "Virgo, search for her keys."

Virgo mechanically did as she was told, one hand keeping a secure hold of Lucy's wrists, the other patting her down for her keys. "Virgo," Lucy whispered desperately, trying to find some flicker of life in the Spirit's eyes. There was none. They were like two marbles of clear glass, staring blankly into space. "Virgo, please. Listen to me. It's Lucy. Stop this, please."

Virgo reached Lucy's thigh and undid the leather garter with the keys, handing it to Everlue. He snatched it up, raised his eyebrows. "Would you look at that? Four Zodiac keys I can use. What luck."

"_Don't you touch them!_" Lucy shrieked, enraged. Virgo's grip tightened on her arms. If Everlue so much as _summoned _Gemini...if he _dared _touch Aries...

Lucy was not going to let that happen. Those Celestial Spirits had suffered enough already. She was not about to relinquish them to someone who was even worse than Angel, than Karin. She was going to save Virgo and the rest of her Spirits, she was going to keep them safe for as long as there was still breath in her. They were a part of her now.

"Someone's getting a little feisty," Everlue smirked. He jostled the keys in his hand. "I think I'll keep these. Come, Virgo, let's escort Lucy to the dungeons. I wouldn't want to get blood on my nice ballroom floor right before the King and Queen get here."

Virgo began to drag Lucy across the cool marble like a sack of potatoes. Lucy growled and kicked and fought with everything she had, but to no avail. Virgo had a grip like iron. She settled for screaming profanities at him instead. "You bastard! You're going to pay for this, you hear me? I swear on my life, you're going to pay if you don't give me my keys back!"

Everlue only shook his head. "I'm going to have fun with you."

"_Give them back, you bastard!_"

Virgo suddenly froze. She groaned, a tremor as deep and thunderous as a collapsing building, and clutched her head. Lucy pulled free from her grasp and scampered away as Virgo began to slowly, but surely, thicken.

"No," Everlue hissed, shaking his head. "No, this can't be possible."

Virgo groaned again, falling to her knees. She was beginning to look something like a troll, instead of the beautiful maid who was so frigid. Through labored breaths, Lucy heard her say something.

"Give...give her back..."

Everlue shook his head. "No, no impossible. How can this be?"

"Give her back!" Virgo roared. Everlue jumped and pointed the key straight at her. He cried for her to return to the Celestial Spirit World. Virgo growled and flailed, tugging at her hair with fat, meaty hands. Lucy's gaze flitted from the spectacle to Everlue, who was perspiring with concentration. Virgo was beginning to shrink, to become translucent. It was only a matter of time before her defiance reached its limit.

Lucy sprinted toward Everlue and tackled him just as Virgo disappeared with a sound like a cannon boom. It wasn't right, the way she left; something was wrong with her. Lucy hoped she would be okay.

Everlue was more of an advisary than Lucy originally anticipated. Although he didn't look like much, he knew how to fight. And Lucy didn't, not really, not without her keys there to support her. She was only tooth and nail and knees. It was only a matter of time before he flattened her to the ground. For all it was worth, he was dishevelled and had a long, bleeding scratch down his face.

"That's it!" he growled. "I'll deal with you later, bitch."

And then Lucy felt the floor quite literally _absorb _her. She felt like she was suffocating, like she was being crushed by the arms of a statue. Then finally she was released and falling through the air. She hit a hard stone surface with a sickening crack. She might have blacked out when her head rebounded off the stones.

It was pitch black around her. Cold, damp. She knew it to be a dungeon, not very different from the one Gajeel had stuck her in. Except this time, there was no Natsu, no Happy, no Pantherlily. And, most importantly, no Plue. She was never going to get a message out. Not that it would have worked; there were no windows down here. Just darkness.

Everlue must have been a mage. An actual mage. How else would he have somehow transported her through the floor?

Lucy felt around her cell. The floor was flaky under her hands. She hesitantly sniffed the substance and immediately regreted it. Blood. There was a layer of dried blood on the floor. She continued to feel around. There were no windows, no prison bars; just four brick walls. One one wall she felt fabric. She ran her hands up, felt a skeletal structure. Frowned. Moved up.

Her eyes widened when she realized what she was touching. She scrambled back and screamed, screamed with pure bestial horror.

It was a skeleton. A human skeleton.

Lucy curled into a little ball as far away from the body as she could and tried to keep the sobs from coming. Was she going to die down here? How many others had died down here, anyway? There was too much blood for it to have only been one...but Lucy didn't want to know, she didn't want to think about it. She would go crazy.

Escape. She needed to think about an escape.

She couldn't rely on Natsu to save her. By the time he realized something was wrong, she'd be long gone. Leo? How could he know what was going on in time? He might become suspicious if Lucy didn't contact him before night, but by then Everlue would have gotten rid of her. He'd want to, before Fried and Mirajane got here. Then again, what were the chances of them find her down here? Did anyone even know this place existed?

Wait. Wait, there was something.

Lucy felt around in the bosom of her shirt until she found it. Yes, here it was. A small paper square that she couldn't see but knew had a comet on it. Jellal's card. She'd moved it when it nearly fell out of her garter on the first day. Everlue wouldn't have known to look for it.

She frowned, trying to remember how to activate it. And then she knocked her head against the wall and groaned. Of course. She had to burn it.

Lucy put her head in her hands, choking on her bitter tears. If she died in here, she hoped Natsu never found her. She didn't want him to have to face the truth that his flames would have been the only thing to rescue her.


	69. With A Vengeance

_**Author's Note:** Prepare for violence, dark Natsu, hints at what is to come, probably some confusion, and NaLu!_

* * *

><p><strong>LXIX: With A Vengeance<strong>

Leo knew something was wrong when he felt the tug in his gut.

It happened every time someone from Outside summoned him. Usually it was just a tiny sensation, like a little flip of his belly, but this time it was stronger, more demanding, unpleasant. Immediately his thoughts went to Lucy. Perhaps she was distressed or close to unconsciousness? Either way, he was going to investigate.

When Leo's feet settled on the earth and he opened his eyes, he was not in the little bedroom Lucy resided in. He was in what seemed like an extravagant office of some sort, full of lavish carpets, leather-bound novels, and a large, ornate desk. Standing in front of him was a small round man with a rather unsanitary-looking mustache growing out of his nostrils. The man twirled one end of the mustache in his fingers. In his other hand was Leo's golden key.

"Damn," the man sniffed. "I was hoping you'd be a woman. Oh, well."

"Who are you?" Leo asked. He had a suspicion, but in his experience jumping to conclusions only got someone in more trouble than they began with.

"I am Duke Everlue, of Shirotsume Town," the round man said. "You must be Leo the Lion, correct? You're not exactly fearso - "

Everlue didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Leo had grabbed him by the collar of his expensive, silky shirt and rammed him against the wall so hard that the duke's head cracked against the brick. His vision tinted with bright red rage, and his eyes burned even brighter with yellow light behind his sunglasses. If they had not been there on his face, Everlue would have gone blind. "So you're the scum who's made Virgo your slave," Leo hissed between clenched teeth. "Where is she, you bastard?! And what have you done with Lucy?!"

The duke was momentarily startled by the Celestial Spirit's reaction. He gaped at Leo until the Spirit tightened his grip on Everlue's throat. "Answer me!"

"Y-you - you're supposed to be completely under my control!" Everlue gasped. "How is this possible? I am the one holding your key, and you will obey me, Spirit!"

"Wrong answer." Leo threw Everlue across the room and into the bookshelves. The heavy volumes tumbled onto the duke's round form, pinning him down. Leo was looming over him in a flash of light, blazing with anger. He stepped on Everlue's hand and applied just enough pressure with the heel of his shoe to cause pain. The duke winced and squirmed, gritting his teeth. "My contract is with Lucy, you piece of shit, therefore you have absolutely no control over me. In your ignorance you have unleashed a force that is beyond your control. I can do whatever I want to you without any consequences. So start talking."

Everlue sneered at him. "I am a duke. You are just a mindless Celestial Spirit, a cursed soul trapped inside of a key that is completely at the disposal of the person holding it. I will tell you nothing, and you _will _obey me."

Leo's face became dangerously cold. Deftly he applied more pressure on Everlue's wrist and heard the snap of bone. The duke howled and wiggled around like a fat bug, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Leo leaned down, only applying more pressure and agony to Everlue's wound. "You know what I hate? Rulers who think they're better than everyone else. Spineless wimps who take advantage of hardworking folks who are too weak or too poor to defend themselves. People like you, people like my last owner, and people like my father. In fact, Duke Everlue, you remind me very much of my father." Leo's eyes became slits. "I _hated _my father."

The Spirit removed his foot from the duke's broken hand. Everlue gulped as Leo crossed his arms and set his jaw, his shadow cast over the duke's crumpled little form. "I'm going to ask you one last time, Everlue. Where are Virgo and Lucy?"

"Virgo is recovering from an attack," Everlue hissed. "That's right, Lion, your dear Lucy viciously attacked poor Virgo once she realized that Virgo was on my side. She was merciless. I barely managed to apprehend her before she mutilated my property."

Everue screamed as light sent him flying across the room and into the ornate desk. He struggled to stand, clutching his hand in anguish. Leo kicked him while he was down, livid. When he spoke, his words were restrained, clipped, and completely enraged. "You are a lying, cheating, worthless excuse for a human being. Lucy would never do such a thing, because she has more heart and kindness and compassion in her pinkie toe than you will ever have over the duration of your entire life." He raised a hand, prepared to strike the final blow. "And for the record, Virgo is not your property. She never was, and she never will be."

"Do you really want to kill me, Spirit?!" Everlue shrieked, reading the murderous intent in Leo's countenance. "I guarantee you will never find Lucy if you do! She will starve and die and rot away without anyone the wiser!"

Leo hesitated.

That was enough time for Everlue to escape. He laughed and literally dove into the floor. Leo desperately shot him with heat, but it was too late. The duke was gone, and there was no telling where he had gone to. Leo cursed colorfully. Everlue no doubt had several escape tunnels leading out of Daybreak Castle. Untraceable ones.

He took a deep breath and cleared his mind. Everlue wouldn't be able to summon anyone else, including Virgo, so long as Leo remained in the Outside. Unfortunately, the duke still had his key, probably Virgo's key, and most likely all of Lucy's other keys, so it looked like Leo wasn't getting any allies that way. But at least Virgo and Aries were safe from the duke's greasy clutches for now.

He needed to rescue Lucy and the other Celestial Spirits that were now in Everlue's grasp. But he doubted that he could track down Everlue and the keys, and he doubted that Lucy knew enough about the castle to guess where the tunnels were.

Or did she?

After all, even if she hadn't seen them with her own eyes, she'd cleaned enough of the castle to have her suspicions. She'd be the best person to guess where the entrances were. If there were even entrances at all. Everlue's newfound power made that uncertain. And what other powers did he have, anyway?

Leo massaged his forehead. He needed help. Natsu was probably just the help that Leo was looking for; and he deserved to know that Lucy was in trouble, besides.

Little did Leo know that Lucy was within ten feet of him the entire time, screaming for his help behind sound proof walls.

* * *

><p>Natsu was laying in bed staring at the ceiling when the message appeared.<p>

It had been a very boring few days, so he'd done a lot of staring at the ceiling. Happy had done a lot of sleeping. Apparently cats, even blue talking winged ones, could sleep for up to 23 hours a day. Sometimes Natsu wished he was a cat.

The message came in the form of Mrs. Melon, who burst into Natsu's room and told him to go outside and look up at Daybreak Castle. Alarmed, Natsu and Happy did just that, joining the rest of the town in the streets. It was the most people he'd ever seen outside since arriving at the town.

Seconds later, Natsu saw why. Cast against the tallest spire of the castle was a huge round yellow light that looked like a moon. There were letters of shadow in the center. Natsu's eyes grew big and round when he read them, and without a second thought he raced toward the castle with Happy at his heels.

SOS's will do that to you, especially when you know the source.

Leo was waiting for him at the gates of the castle, looking as serious as Natsu had ever seen him. "What's...going on?" Natsu wheezed, out of breath from his sprint.

"Everlue captured Lucy and got a hold of all her keys," Leo began without preamble. "He summoned me for some reason and made the mistake of opening his mouth. Unfortunately he escaped - he can dig in walls, or something like that. He's a mage. I don't know where he's escaped to."

Natsu gaped at the Spirit. "Are you serious? He's got Lucy? Do you have any idea where she is?"

"No," Leo said, shaking his head solemnly. "He wouldn't tell me. He's suffered a broken hand, though, so I imagine he can't get far. And he can't summon another Spirit until I go back, so we don't have to worry about him harming or using them."

"How did he escape?"

"He was on the floor and just kind of...sunk into it. Melted. I'm guessing that there are tunnels in the castle, but I'm willing to bet that they don't have actual entrances."

"Alright," said Natsu with a note of finality, cracking his knuckles. "Destroying castles is my specialty. We'll crush that little cockroach and make him tell us where he's keeping Lucy."

"But we need to be careful," Leo warned. "Lucy is probably still in the castle. We can't risk injuring her."

"Right," Natsu nodded. "Let's do this."

The castle was a sturdy structure, but it was no match against Natsu. Leo reigned in the Dragonslayer's destructive power, and with the two of them working together Daybreak Castle was strategically broken up in bits of rubble in no time.

But there was still no Everlue and still no Lucy.

Natsu beat at the rock with his fists, wishing that it was Everlue instead. When he got his hands on that damn duke...

"That's enough, Natsu," Leo said. "We can't do anything else. If we do, the castle will collapse."

Natsu couldn't stop. He needed to find her.

"Natsu."

The brick crumbled in his fingers.

"Natsu, stop it. That's enough."

Where the hell was she? If he just dug a little deeper, he was sure she would be there.

"Stop, Natsu!" Leo grabbed his arm and flung him to the ground with surprising strength, glaring from behind his sunglasses. "We need to come up with a new plan if we're going to find her or Everlue. This isn't working."

"Like hell it isn't! What else are we supposed to do?"

Leo opened his mouth to answer when the wall behind them exploded.

The force of it knocked the three of them to the ground. Natsu blinked debris out of his eyes and looked up to see Everlue, who seemed equally shocked to see them. He'd obviously been trying to escape.

He turned around and tried to disappear back into the brick of his castle, but the flame Natsu hurled at him was faster. It engulfed him. Everlue dropped to the ground, screaming and thrashing as he cooked.

"Grab him!" Leo ordered. Natsu put out the fire and they each grabbed an arm, hoisting the small round man into the air between the two of them so he couldn't escape.

"Where's Lucy?!" Natsu yelled, glaring.

Everlue's eyes flicked wearily between the two of them. "What's in it for me if I tell?"

"My friend here won't burn you alive," said Leo.

"No promises," Natsu hissed.

"That's not exactly a persuasive argument."

"Oh, yeah? How's this for an argument?" Natsu's fist burst into flame. He put it up close to Everlue's face. The duke kicked and squealed like a pig, his eyes wide and frantic at the sight of the fire.

"Get it away from me!"

"Tell us what you did with Lucy!"

"She's dead!" Everlue screamed. "I killed her!"

"Liar!" Leo accused. "We have a contract! I would know if she was dead!"

"You'll never get me to talk!" Everlue snarled. "I would rather die and take her with me than tell you two anything!"

He screamed again, aflame. Natsu let him roast for a moment, and then put out the fire. He lowered his face to Everlue's, veins popping from his forehead. "We won't kill you, bastard. Your filthy fucking blood isn't worth staining my hands with. But I promise you that if she dies, I will spend the rest of my life making sure you wished you _were_ dead."

Everlue trembled, staring into the eyes of the Salamander. They were hard, stony, sincere eyes, eyes that belonged to a person who made promises and kept them. Eyes of a man who had killed, who had tortured, and who wasn't afraid to do it again.

He hung his head in defeat.

"She's in my office," he confessed. "There's a panel next to the window. It leads to a room. She's in there."

Once again, he howled in pain as he caught on fire, writhing in the bright orange flames. "Bastards!" he accused. "You said you would stop!"

"I never promised that," Natsu said. "I just said I wouldn't kill you."

They held Everlue until he stopped screaming and fell limp in their hands. Natsu put out he fire. The duke still breathed; he panted, heavily, just on the cusp of life. But Natsu knew that he would survive. The scum of the world always did.

Leo took the keys from Everlue's belt, making sure that all eight of Lucy's keys and Virgo were accounted for. "Come on, let's go find Lucy."

They left Everlue there on the floor. He wasn't moving any time soon.

The duke's office was just as Leo left it: a splintered desk, a broken bookshelf, books and papers scattered everywhere. He and Natsu went to the window and felt around for a passage, but they found none.

"Dammit! What if he was lying to us?" Natsu cursed.

Leo considered something for a moment. "You know, I bet Virgo knows where it is."

"I thought she was brainwashed?"

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Leo took out Virgo's key and handed it to Natsu. "I can't summon her, since I'm a Spirit. If she gets out of control, I'll help you send her back."

"Will you really be able to do that?" Happy asked. He couldn't imagine having to fight Natsu, even if it was for his own good.

Leo looked grim. "I'll do what is necessary. Go on."

Natsu raised the key. Instantly he felt the words on his lips, and a tug of power in his stomach. "_Open the Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!_"

She materialized out of nothing, blinking blank, pale eyes. She was a slim woman with hair a lighter pink than Natsu's, dressed in a maid's outfit. Her eyes wandered around the room as though seeing it for the first time until they came to rest on Leo.

Virgo let out a little gasp, and her wide eyes grew even wider with shock. A hand flew to her chest. Natsu noticed that there was a manacle on it, the chain attached to nothing.

"Loke," she whispered, amazed. "I...I remember you. Loke."

Natsu frowned. Loke? Where had he heard that name before? He glanced at Leo and then back at the maid. Why did she call him that? He shared a look with Happy, who was just as perplexed.

"I'm so glad," Leo said, grinning with relief despite their present situation. "I was worried that whatever Everlue had done to you was permanent."

Virgo's face crinkled. "I can't remember exactly what happened. I don't remember everything. Just...bits and pieces. But I know enough."

"Do you know where Lucy is?" Natsu interrupted.

"He took Miss Lucy?" Virgo cried. She wrung her hands. "No...no, I took Miss Lucy. Oh, no, this is all my fault!" She fell to her knees in front of them, holding out her manacled hands. "Please, punish me!"

"Uh..."

"Sorry, she does this," Leo sighed. "Virgo, we've no time for this. Where did you bring Lucy?"

"I can't remember," Virgo said. "All I remember is Everlue catching me disobeying him...and then a horrible feeling...and then red."

"Disobeying? How did you disobey him?"

"I...I snuck in here when he was away and I opened his secret chamber," Virgo said hollowly, stifling shudders. Her eyes swept to the blank wall beside the window. "It was the only room in the castle I'd yet to see. I...I opened it against his orders and...I saw..._things_."

"That must be where she is," Leo said. He grabbed Virgo's shoulders, shaking her gently to get her out of her stupor. "Virgo, _how do you get the chamber open_?"

Virgo shook her head vigorously. "You don't want to see."

"We think that Lucy is in there and we need to get her out. Show us, please."

She gasped, horrified. Slowly, she rose from the ground. "...Alright, I'll do it for Miss Lucy. I need the key. The brass one."

Leo let out a breath and fumbled with the key ring, extracting a small brass key from the gold ones. Virgo accepted it and walked toward the wall. She pulled back a nearly invisible panel and slipped the key into it. The wall shifted back, becoming a door.

Virgo stepped out the way as Natsu shoved it aside. The air rushed out, cold and dank and smelling of blood. He froze when he saw the tragedy within, the bodies manacled to the wall, skeletons draped in black and white outfits, ripped and decayed.

Leo stepped up beside him, his eyes wide. "Oh, my God."

"I told you," Virgo whispered. Her back was turned from the scene. It was already burned into her fragmented memory. "I told you you didn't want to see."

There was a mass curled in the farthest corner of the room, lined up next to the freshest corpse as though awaiting her own execution. She was dressed in soiled maid's clothes, her white stockings torn and stained brown with dried blood, her gloves in a similar state. Her head was folded in her hands. She didn't move when the door opened and light poured in. She didn't move at all.

Natsu took silent, hesitant steps toward the form, his heart in his throat. What if she was too hurt to heal? He didn't think he could bare it if Lucy died.

He stopped in front of her. He spoke in the faintest whisper, the quietest he'd ever been in his entire life, afraid that if he was too loud she might shatter into a million pieces. "...Lucy?"

Lucy slowly raised her head, her eyes wide with wonder. Two clean tracks ran from her puffy red eyes down to her chin. She blinked at him for several minutes, as though making sure she wasn't hallucinating. "Natsu? Are you...is it really you?"

"Well, yeah. Who else would it be?"

She blinked at him once more, and then her face dissolved into new sobs. Tears of relief. She hid them from him with her dirty hands. Natsu sighed and bent down, scooping her in his arms like a child. Lucy wound her arms around his neck, digging her face in his chest. "I'm so h-happy you found me," she whimpered as he carried her out of the chamber and into the light of the office. "You were right. I w-wasn't cut out for this job all by myself."

"Shh. You did fine, Luce. If it wasn't for you, we never would've come here. You saved the town and Virgo. That's all that matters."

"I should've listened to you."

"I couldn't have done what you did alone. I couldn't've even gotten into the castle." Natsu smiled at her. "We're a team, Lucy. We work best when we're together, but we always have faith in each other when we're apart."

Lucy nodded and didn't say anything else. There was nothing else to say.

Leo grasped Natsu's shoulder and handed him Lucy's keys. "You take things from here."

Natsu gave him a nod, accepting the keys. Leo shimmered and disappeared, as did Virgo after giving a little curtsy. Two of the golden keys momentarily glowed, and then were inanimate.

"Come on, Happy," he said. "Let's go."

"But what about Duke Everlue?"

Natsu muled it over for a moment, then gave Happy explicit instructions on what to do with the duke's unconscious, charred body. The cat agreed and flew away.

Natsu carried Lucy out of the castle. Most of Shirotsume Town had gathered around Daybreak Castle to see what all the commotion was about. The entire crowd parted when Natsu walked by with Lucy in his arms, solemn faced and determined. Then they converged on the front gates of the castle, yelling and screaming with vengeance as Happy hung Everlue on one of the wrought iron spires by his tied wrists.

Natsu carried Lucy all the way to the Mel Inn as the riot erupted outside the castle, not even looking back. He went up to their room, set her in the bed by the window, and held her until she fell asleep.

It was good to have Lucy in his arms again.


	70. Snow

**Author's Note:**_ Happy holidays, everyone!_

* * *

><p><strong>LXX: Snow<strong>

"Back to business," Fried sighed as he and Mirajane rode through the gloomy streets of Shirotsume Town. They'd visited it briefly during their extensive honeymoon. The cantankerous ruler of the town, Duke Everlue, had hosted them graciously; a little too graciously, when it came to Mira. If it hadn't been for tradition, Fried never would have bothered with the broken city for his honeymoon. The only person who'd enjoyed their stay was Everlue. But it was customary for the newlywed king and queen to travel all the cities in Fiore after their ceremony. Of course, they'd bent the rules a little, staying in some places longer than others.

"I'm definitely going to miss honeymooning," Mirajane agreed, tearing her eyes from the dismal views outside the window of the carriage. "But it will be nice to get some work done. After coming here the first time and seeing what that horrid duke has done to this place...I was itching to come back and give him a piece of my mind."

Fried smiled at her affectionately, although he knew her words were hauntingly honest. He'd been on the receiving end of those righteous talons. He almost pitied Everlue for a fleeting moment. "I know, but remember we have to follow protocol."

"Why? It's blatantly obvious to everyone that he's abusing his subjects," Mirajane pointed out. "All you have to do is compare his gaudy castle with the destitution on his streets!"

"It's not up to us to decide who is good or bad without proper evidence," Fried said. "Unfortunately, Duke Everlue is good at covering his tracks."

"It's that trail of slime he leaves behind him," Mira muttered, a pout forming on her mouth.

"Yes," Fried smirked, "that could be true. Don't worry, I'll be keeping a close eye on this place until Everlue is brought to justice or until he sees the error of his ways."

"Just remember, we have to get back in time for the wedding," Mirajane said. "I can't miss my only brother getting married."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Fried said wryly. "Evergreen told me in no uncertain terms that I wouldn't be able to sire an heir to the throne if we weren't in attendance."

Mirajane giggled, placing a hand on her stomach. "Joke's on her, isn't it?"

Fried was about to say something, but the carriage came to a screeching halt and the coachman ducked his head in, frowning. "Your Majesty, we've got a situation out here."

"What kind of situation?" Fried inquired.

"Well, there's a mob outside the castle...or what's left of it," the coachman said, peering over his shoulder. "And there's something - or someone, rather - shackled to the gates."

Mirajane gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. Fried called after her as she opened the carriage door, stepping daintily on to the cracked cobblestone street without waiting for an escort. Her big blue eyes widened when she saw the seen before her.

Fried raced out after her, furious. "Mirajane, you can't just rush out of the carriage when we don't know what's going on!"

Wordlessly, she pointed. Fried followed her gaze and his jaw dropped.

Daybreak Castle was in shambles, bits and pieces in various states of scorched disrepair. The people of Shirotsume were gathered around the property. They'd broken into the gates and were taking heirlooms from the castle; extravagant china vases, silver wear, crystal chalices, wooden antiques, expensive weaponry, thick heavy furs, satin curtains, priceless artwork, silk pillows, leather shoes, gold and jewels galore.

Those who weren't raiding the castle were terrorizing the slumped form hung on the spires of the wrought-iron gate, throwing bottles and spoiled food at it. Closer inspection revealed that it was the duke himself.

Fried scowled. He had no liking for Duke Everlue, but such riotous activities would not continue under his supervision. Muttering under his breath, he put wards up around the duke to protect him from projectiles, and then runes that tripled the weight of every stolen good from the castle close. Immediately everyone in the vicinity was pinned to the ground.

He walked toward them, Mirajane in tow. Together they marched toward the gates where Duke Everlue hung, unconscious. Slowly he turned to glare at the townspeople, whose eyes widened when they realized who he was. Still, they did not quiver in fear or regret; they looked him in the face, daring him to label them as the initiators of this crime.

The king's voice rang through the silent courtyard. "Who is responsible for this?"

There was an extensive pause. Finally, a young man near the front cleared his throat and answered the question.

"A hero."

"Care to elaborate?" Fried asked, turning his piercing gaze to the speaker. The young man raised his chin stubbornly, refusing to say more. Fried swept his eyes across the courtyard and found no one who seemed ready to talk.

Above him, Everlue stirred minutely. "I...know..." he rasped. "I know..."

"What do you know, Everlue?" Mirajane whispered.

"It was...Lucy...Heartphilia..."

"Impossible," Fried hissed. "Rapunzel was kidnapped years ago. She's probably dead by now. It's been nearly eighteen years. There are even people who say she never existed."

"Lucy...Heartphilia..." Everlue insisted. "Fire...Salamander...blue...cat..."

"Oh my goodness," Mirajane gasped, assessing the damage to the castle one last time. "Fried, did you hear that?"

"Yes," Fried said stonily. "It seems as though Lucy, Natsu, and Happy are here. And they have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

><p>Lucy didn't wake up for a long time.<p>

When Natsu opened his eyes, she was still curled up in his arms, smelling of honey and sunlight and dried blood. He carefully untangled himself and rolled out of bed, nearly choking to death on his own scarf when he realized that Lucy had a death grip on it in her sleep. After several fruitless attempts at prying it out of her hands, he just unwound it from his neck and let her hold it.

Happy woke up when Natsu did, his round eyes empty of their usual mirth. "Natsu?" he said quietly, glancing at Lucy's form curled up on the bed. "How is she?"

"Sleeping still," Natsu whispered.

"What do you think she'll say when she wakes up?"

"I dunno. We've got a lot to tell her." Natsu picked up her keys as he said this. He was dying to find out the answers that they'd only gotten a glimpse of last night between Virgo and Leo. It looked as though the Lion hadn't been entirely honest with them.

"She called him Loke," said Happy, also staring at the golden keys. "You know what that means, don't you?"

"Yeah," Natsu said, setting down the keys. "I know."

Natsu turned and found that Lucy was awake. She was staring into space, her fingers still tight around his scarf, her eyes dark and haunted.

"Lucy..." he began. She blinked, once, and turned her eyes to him.

"Natsu," she breathed. She closed her eyes again and shuddered. "Tell me that it was all a dream."

"You don't want me to lie to you," he said.

She kept her eyes closed and went back to sleep.

Around noon they got a knock on their door. Natsu opened it to find Mrs. Melon, her demeanor stiff and formal. "You have a visitor," she said, stepping aside.

Natsu blanched.

It was Fried and Mirajane. And they did not look happy to see him.

"Natsu," Fried said, "I was hoping that next time we saw each other, it would be on good terms and that I could consider you a close friend. But before that happens, please explain to me what the hell is going on out there?"

"I'll tell you as much as I know," Natsu said. "But Lucy knows more than I do, and she's...well, you'll understand when I tell you."

He closed the door behind him, much to the astonishment of the other three. "Aren't you going to let us in?" Mirajane asked.

"No. Lucy's sleeping, and I don't want to wake her up again," Natsu said obstinately. "We can talk out here."

A smile ghosted Mira's face, although Fried only looked irritated. "Fine. Start talking."

"Madam, would you mind getting us some refreshments?" Mirajane asked Mrs. Melon wisely. "I have a feeling that this is going to be a very long story."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Mrs. Melon said, flushing and curtseying. As soon as she skittered away, Natsu began to speak.

He told them as much as he dared. He told them about Leo (excluding the whole Loke thing) and about Virgo. He told them how Lucy had promised to find Virgo, and her plan. He told them about her entering the castle, and about the letter (although he didn't show them). And finally he told them about the night before, about destroying Daybreak Castle, capturing Everlue (he omitted his excessive torture), and rescuing Lucy and Virgo.

"I told Happy to put Everlue on the fence so he wouldn't escape again," Natsu finished, taking a long sip of tea. Mrs. Melon had dropped off delicious chamomile tea and little peanutbutter sandwiches before leaving the three of them to chat. They sat in the middle of the corridor, munching and sipping as Natsu narrated his side of the story. "And because that bastard deserved it."

"So you're telling me that Everlue is a murderer? A serial killer?" Fried said, dumbfounded. He knew the man was vile and cruel, but he hadn't expected murder out of him.

Natsu nodded. "Lucy would've been next if we hadn't found her."

"Poor Lucy," Mirajane breathed. "Can we see her?"

"If she's awake, sure," Natsu said with a shrug. "Just...be careful. She's pretty beat up over the whole thing. I don't know exactly how she's taking it yet."

"Before we do that," Fried said, clearing this throat, "there's something I'd like to ask you. About Lucy."

"What?"

"Everlue told us her full name," Fried said. "He told us that she's Lucy Heartphilia. _The _Lucy Heartphilia. The Rapunzel, the Lost Princess of Fiore."

Natsu narrowed his eyes. "And if she is?"

"So she knows, then?" Fried said. "Why didn't she tell us?"

"She didn't have to," Mira responded. "It doesn't matter who she was. It's who she is now that matters."

"It matters because we need to know what happened to her after Jose Porla abducted her," Fried said. "Because her father needs to know she's alive, at the very least. And since she's the rightful heir to the throne, Fiore deserves to know she's alive as well."

"Look, Lucy grew up isolated in a tower for seventeen years," Natsu explained, wagging a finger at the king. "I stumbled upon her tower one day and we ended up battling Jose and defeating him. Only us, the Rune Knights near Magnolia, the employees at Blue Pegasus Woodland Resort, and Everlue know the truth about Lucy. All she's trying to do is go back home to her father in Acalypha, and maybe find her brother too. I'm her escort there, and I'm in charge of making sure she gets there safely." Natsu crossed his arms. "She wants to keep her identity a secret. She doesn't have any plans on claiming her right to the throne. So I don't think Fiore needs to know anything."

Fried bowed his head, relenting. "Very well. Business adjourned. Now, as a friend...may we see Lucy?"

Natsu nodded and stood up, opening the door and peering inside. "She's still not awake," he said, shutting the door. "Maybe some other time."

"That's fine. I need to go handle the situation at Daybreak Castle anyway," Fried said. "I've made sure no one can get in and bother the duke, but I've yet to take him down. And now that I've heard your story, I'm glad I didn't. He is not registered as a legal mage. And...I should probably see the bodies of those poor women for myself." Fried trembled. "I can't believe I was in his office countless times, and I never once even suspected...I never noticed..."

Mirajane put a hand on his arm. "None of us could have known, darling. Not even Erza discovered it when she ran her investigation. Would you like me to come with you?"

Fried shook his head. "No, you don't need to see that. It would make me feel better if you stayed and got us a room. We'll be here for as long as possible, until we can make the wedding."

"Wedding?" Natsu repeated. "What wedding?"

"Haven't you heard? We meant to grant you an invitation, but we could never know where you were," Mirajane said. "Elfman and Evergreen are getting married in just a few weeks in Hargeon Town."

"She wanted a beach wedding," Fried added.

"Elfman and Evergreen?!" Natsu exclaimed. "As in, your brother Elfman?! And Evergreen that turned me into stone?!"

The royal couple nodded in affirmation. "Yes, they're quite in love, although sometimes it's difficult to tell," Mirajane said. "Also, Lisanna and Bixlow are engaged."

"Engaged?!"

"Yes. They're scheduled to be married in the summer," Mirajane giggled. "It seems as though the Raijinshuu and the Take Over siblings are meant to be together."

Fried sighed. "If only Lax - oh, nevermind. I'd better go." He kissed Mirajane and took his leave, bracing himself for a long, horrendous day, but keeping the regal stride of a king.

Mirajane watched him go, solemn. "I know he wasn't exactly the most personable today, Natsu, but do cut him some slack. It's been hard on him, trying to figure out how to be King. It's just been catastrophe after catastrophe since our honeymoon. He's been working on rebuilding in Magnolia, not to mention the unrest in Clover - and don't give me that look, I know you were there, Erza told me all about it - and now this. You can't imagine how hard it was for him earlier today, to make all those people give back the things they'd taken from Daybreak Castle. A fraction of that is more wealth than any of them have possessed, but he can't endorse thievery. Now the townspeople are bitter with him, although I'm sure he'll find a way to use Everlue's wealth to help the people here when that wretched duke goes to prison.

"On top of all this, he's still concerned about Laxus's disappearance," Mirajane continued. "We haven't heard his whereabouts at all, and we're worried about the consequences if he somehow runs into his father."

"We saw him once, outside Hosenka," Natsu said. "That's another long story."

"You'll have to tell us later tonight," said Mirajane, her eyes growing bright. "Fried and the other Raijinshuu miss him terribly. So does Makarov. And, well - we're all feeling the strain of his absence. Laxus wasn't perfect, but he was family, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it," Natsu said, although he couldn't entirely bring himself to feel sorry for the Lightning Dragonslayer. Not after Fried's birthday party, and then the ordeal at Iron Rose Castle after that.

"Well, I'd better go find that lady and get a room," Mirajane said, looking around as though Mrs. Melon would pop up out of nowhere again. "Promise me you'll tell me as soon as Lucy's better?"

Natsu promised, and ducked into the room as Mirajane strode down the corridor. Lucy was sitting up in bed, looking out the window, Happy patting her hand. She turned to look at him when he came back inside. "Are they gone?"

"Yeah. Mira went to get a room, and Fried's handling Everlue. They'll want to talk to you tonight, though, and get everything sorted out." He paused, frowning. "Why didn't you want to talk to them?"

"I need some time to figure things out myself," Lucy replied, looking down at Natsu's scarf in her hands. She held it out to him. He sat down on the bed as he took it, slinging it over his shoulders. Then he asked the dreaded question.

"Are you alright?"

Lucy thought about it. "I will be. It's just...I can't believe that all happened. I can hardly process any of it."

"What did happen? In there, I mean."

"Aye, maybe talking about it will help," Happy said.

"I should have known something was wrong," Lucy sighed. "Everlue let me in too easily. I knew he didn't entirely trust me, but I...I should've known. Anyway, I realized that Virgo didn't remember anything, and when Everlue left for his business trip I overheard them talking about a secret closet or something in his office. I tried to convince her to open it, but she wouldn't do it. Or at least that's what I thought. When Everlue came back he discovered that she actually had opened it, and seen what was inside. Then he...he did something to her. Messed up her mind, somehow. Made her forget everything again.

"We need to talk to her. Get her story," Lucy said suddenly. "Maybe she remembers something. I need to know that she's okay."

"Yeah..." Natsu and Happy glanced at each other nervously. "But...before we do that, there's something else you should know. About Leo."

"What about him? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, it's just...when we were in there, and we found you...Virgo called him something strange," Natsu said. "She called him...Loke."

"Loke?" Lucy repeated.

"Aye," Happy confirmed. "As in Loke Heartphilia."

Lucy's eyes grew wide. "No. No, it can't be."

"We don't know for sure," Natsu said. He reached across her and scooped her keys off the table, taking her hand and pressing them in her palm. "The only ones who can are Virgo and Leo themselves."

Lucy stared at the keys in her hand, then glanced back up at Natsu. He read the fear in them, a familiar fear that was somehow deeper and more profound than when she first spoke with Leo the Lion. The fear of discovery. Of disappointment.

He took her hand, giving it what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Luce. We're here for you."

"Always," Happy said, nodding vigorously.

Lucy swallowed. "Thank you." She stood and let go of his hand. He noticed that she was still dressed in her maid's costume; she should probably change out of it. But it was obvious that cleaning up would have to wait.

Slowly, she picked out a golden key from the rest and held it at arm's length. "_Open, the Gate of the Lion! Leo!_"

He appeared before them in his usual suit and sunglasses combination, looking relieved to see them. "Lucy! Thank the stars you're alright, I was so worried about you - "

"What's your real name, Leo?" Lucy said, cutting him off entirely. Leo froze, blinking at her in surprise, and then hung his head guiltily.

"So, I suppose you've figured it out, then," he said, sheepishly peering at her from over the rim of his sunglasses. His eyes were dark, but Natsu could see fire in their depths. "I should have told you from the start, but I just...I didn't know how."

"It's true, then," Lucy whispered.

Leo rose to his full height, his head held high. "Yes, it's true. My given name is Prince Loke Jude Heartphilia, son to King Jude and Queen Layla Heartphilia. And twin brother to Lucy Heartphilia, the Lost Princess."

Lucy collapsed on the bed, hand pressed to her chest as though she couldn't breathe. "You're really my brother," she breathed, her eyes raking over Leo - Loke, now - as though looking for similarities. There weren't many.

"Yes. I admit that it was unfair to withhold that information. I knew immediately who you were; you're the spitting image of Mother," Loke explained. "I, on the other hand, favor neither of our parents. I take after our grandmother on Father's side. Or so I'm told."

"I remember," Lucy said. "You called me 'Mom' when I first summoned you."

Loke nodded. "For a second I thought I was dead. And then you told me your name, and I was...I didn't know how I felt. For so long I'd dreamed of meeting you. Sometimes I dreamed of saving you from the clutches of Sir Jose and presenting you to our parents, and everything would miraculously be okay. After Mom died, I dreamed of finding you so I could kill you."

Lucy gasped. "Why?"

"I blamed you for her death. She was always grief-stricken. Some days she'd be perfectly fine, and then there were periods of time when she was so heartsick she couldn't get out of bed. I blamed you for her death, and I hated you. I hated you for leaving me alone with _him_."

"Who?"

"Our father," Loke spat. "The king. Former king, now. There was an uprising after I left, and after that the Justines took the throne. We're distantly related to them."

"Okay, hold on," Natsu interrupted, eyebrows pulled down in confusion. "Your father is a bad guy now?"

"Why don't you start from the beginning? Tell us the whole story," Lucy suggested.

"You're not going to like what you hear," Loke warned.

"I want to know anyway. Tell me everything."

Loke sighed. "Very well. It began eighteen years ago, when Sir Jose Porla abducted you. Obviously we know the reason, now; it was for your powers. He knew that Celestial magic passed down the female line only, so he stole the female twin and left the male twin to carry on the Heartphilia lineage. That was Father's doing. He'd made a deal with Jose and the Witch of the East Forest for a concoction because Mom couldn't get pregnant."

"The Witch of the East Forest," Lucy said. "She was evil?"

"No. According to Mom, she was something of a foul-mouthed saint," Loke said. "She knew Father's intentions, but not that he'd made such a deal with Jose, although she suspected it. Her name escapes me...something like Po...Porl..."

"Porlyusica?"

"Yes! That's it."

"I've met her! In Hosenka!" Lucy said excitedly. "Remember, Natsu? The old woman in the hot spring? She said I looked like Queen Layla, and warned me about the Beast!"

"Yeah, yeah, you were right," Natsu said. "Get on with the story."

"Anyway, we were born and Jose kidnapped you; with the help of Virgo. She'd belonged to Duke Everlue first, and then Jose bought her from him and gave her to the king as a gift, and as means to ensure that Father held his end of the bargain. She was put under a curse that turned her into a mindless ogress."

Lucy recalled Virgo clutching her head and growing in Everlue's parlor, muttering, "Let her go, let her go," under her breath before Everlue forced her gate shut.

"Anyway, Virgo had become close to Mom and betrayed Jose, but he still managed to take you. Porlyusica freed Virgo of the curse after the fact, but had to transmute her into a Zodiac key in order to do so. Virgo would no longer be a mindless ogress with brief flashes of memory, but in return she had to endure a life of servitude. It suited her well enough, anyway; she would've endured a life of servitude regardless, only this was a bit more extreme.

"We all looked for you, but no one could ever find you. Jose had hidden out in the East Forest, apparently, but of course we didn't know that until Natsu found you. The East Forest has many secrets.

"Virgo was my nursemaid and companion as I grew up. So was Mom. You would have loved her, Lucy. She was kind and gentle and loving. And beautiful. So incredibly beautiful. But she was also fragile and sad. Often she reminded me of a withering flower. It was only a matter of time that she passed on. She was weak from childbirth and depression. And betrayal. She didn't know about Father's deal with Jose until after he'd taken you, and she never trusted him again. Father took to working. He didn't ever have time for us. I hardly saw him as a child.

"I loved our mother with my whole heart, but I knew that she was broken and that my love would never be enough to heal her. I knew that she was slowly dying. And somehow that made it so much worse when she passed on. Her headaches had grown steadily worse, until finally one morning Virgo served her breakfast and discovered that she'd died in her sleep. I was ten at the time.

"It took us two hours to tell Father about it," Loke said darkly. "He was in a meeting that couldn't be interrupted. When he did find out, he walked to her room like a ghost and shut the door. I didn't see him for three days. I cried and pounded on the door, begging him to let me in, begging him to come out, but he never did. Virgo was the only one who was there for me.

"Finally he emerged and began preparations for a funeral. Never once did he shed a tear for her, although the entire kingdom was shrouded in black upon Mom's death. She was loved throughout Fiore. Her death was a hard blow to everyone.

"After the funeral, our father seemed to take an unhealthy interest in my rearing. At first I was elated; I thought that maybe Mom's death made him realize how important family was, and that he would grow to love me. Eventually I realized that he wasn't interested in me or my happiness; he was interested in my education, my etiquette, my leadership. He was interested in an heir, not a son. He only saw me as means to continue the Heartphilia dynasty. The family business.

"I endured it all, plotting for revenge. As much as I hated you during this time, Lucy, I hated him even more. I thought that if he'd just been there for her after you were taken, maybe Mom would have lasted longer. Or maybe she would have healed. That's still a belief I maintain today." Loke paused, taking a deep breath. "So I waited. I knew that there was one thing I could do to ruin him. When I turned fifteen, the age that the heir becomes eligible for the throne if they so desire, I declined it and ran away with Virgo. Father was absolutely furious. He ordered the Rune Knights to consider me a fugitive, but they refused to hunt me down. Instead the people of Fiore rallied against him. After you were taken, he wasn't exactly a benevolent king. He was miserly, pinching every penny he could. Taxes were too high, and cases like Everlue's were too common. He'd turned his back on his people, and they stabbed him."

Lucy gasped, horrified. "You mean he's dead?!"

"No! I mean that figuratively, of course," Loke assured. "He's far from dead. There was a mostly peaceful transition. After all the work Father put into me, he was put out by my failure. So he gave the crown to Ernest Justine, who I believe was the father of the present king. I don't know what he's doing now."

"Fried, yes," Lucy confirmed. "And as far as I know, our father still lives in Acalypha as a wealthy merchant. He's head of the Heartphilia Konzern. Royalty is centered in Magnolia now, a place called Raijinshuu Castle. Or it was, at least. Until Natsu destroyed it."

"Hey! I didn't destroy that one! That was Makarov and Laxus!"

"A merchant, huh? Makes sense," Loke snorted. "Anyway, I went off the grid for a while. Actually, I was looking for you. I still hated you, and I wanted to take some kind of revenge. Virgo tried to convince me otherwise, but I never listened to her. And then we were attacked by bandits one day while walking through the East Forest. Virgo was taken in her key form. I was left beaten on the side of the path. After that I focused all my efforts on finding her, and I eventually came across the Leo key in Shirotsume. The Leo inside had been there for thousands of years, and he was very clever. He tricked me into releasing him, promising me that he'd help me find Virgo. I didn't know that in return I would be sucked into the key. Karen found me after that and...well, you know the rest."

"Do you...do you still hate me?" Lucy murmured, looking up at her newfound brother with tears in her eyes.

"What? No, no no no," Loke assured hastily. "Of course I don't! I realized during my time with Karen that none of it was your fault. My mindless hatred of you was no different than Karen's meaningless cruelty toward Aries. You were as much a victim as Mom and me. You were just an outlet, a phantom villain for me to pin blame on. And how could I hate you now, after meeting you? You're kind, caring, amazing in every way. You've already done so much for me by freeing me from eternal isolation and rescuing Aries and Virgo. I can't ever thank you enough. I love you, Lucy, sincerely. I'd do anything to make up for those wasted years of hatred."

"What about our father?" Lucy inquired. "Do you still hate him?"

Loke went still. "I...I can't say that I'm a huge fan. He's not what you think, Lucy. I know that you and Natsu are going to Acalypha in the hopes of some big family reunion, but I'm here to tell you that it's not going to happen. He doesn't care about anything but money and power. He's a greedy bastard, and you're better off without him."

"But it's been three years!" Lucy objected. "Maybe he's changed."

"I doubt it. He's not prone to change."

"I know you're being honest, but I just can't accept that," Lucy objected. "I don't care if he is a greedy bastard. I want to at least meet my father. I need to know him, and I need him to know me. At least know that I'm alive. And I think you should too."

"Me? No, I gave him up long ago," Loke said. "I'm not going back."

"Think on it, at least?" Lucy pleaded. "You'll have to come with me anyway, since we've made a contract. Just...just let him see that you're alive. He could be worried sick about you for all you know."

"I was hoping I'd change your mind about going back, but it seems like you're set on it," Loke sighed. "I'll think about it."

Lucy nodded. "Thank you, Leo...or should I call you Loke, now?"

"No one has called me that in a long time," he said, smiling. "I'd like it very much."

"Loke, then," Lucy said. "Thank you, Loke. For everything."

The Spirit nodded and took that as his cue to leave, disappearing with a brief flash of white light, leaving Natsu, Lucy, and Happy alone in their hotel room.

Lucy sighed, visibly sagging under the weight of all she'd learned. "I can't believe it," she whispered. "I've found my brother, I know how my mother died, and I know what my father's like..."

"Are you really gonna live with someone like that, Lucy?" Natsu inquired, frowning. "He doesn't seem like such a great guy. Maybe we shouldn't..."

"I'm going to Acalypha!" Lucy said. "I need to at least see him with my own eyes and make my own judgement. If I decide that I don't want to stay...then I won't."

Natsu nodded, once. His chest tightened uncomfortably. Lucy's faith in her family could lead to disappointment. He didn't want her to go all that way only to discover that everything was for naught. But a part of him also wished that Sir Heartphilia was as wretched as Loke claimed, so Lucy would stay with him and Happy. It wouldn't be the same without her. It wouldn't be the same at all.

"Hey, look at that," Lucy said quietly, turning her head back to the window. She smiled a little bit, her eyes softening. "It's snowing."

Natsu crept forward until his nose was practically pressed against the cold glass. Outside, little flurries were spiralling toward the ground, most melting on contact with the wet stone, some enduring flakes clinging stubbornly to the tops of buildings.

"Igneel hates the snow," he said, blinking. "He says it cools the fire in his belly."

"What about you?" Lucy asked curiously.

"I don't like it much, except that I could sometimes almost win fights against Igneel in the winter. It doesn't affect me like it does him. I just don't like the cold."

"I hope he's somewhere warm," Lucy mused, watching as children came outside to rejoice in the snowflakes. "Somewhere that doesn't snow, so that he's nice and comfortable."

Natsu tore his eyes away from the view outside and stared at her. Then he grinned. "Yeah, me too."

Happy breathed on the cold glass and drew a little fish. His stomach growled. "Hey, can we get some food? I'm hungry."

"Sure, we have to go talk to Mira and Fried anyway," Lucy sighed, hopping off the bed. "That's going to be fun. Just let me get cleaned up."

Natsu watched her disappear into the bathroom, and listened as the bath began to run. Happy grinned at him deviously. "Why don't you go in there with her, Natsu?"

"Why would I do _that_?" Natsu scoffed.

"Oh, you know," Happy said, wiggling his eyebrows. He drew a heart next to his fish. Natsu's ears turned flaming red, and he turned away crossly.

"You're as loony as Lucy," he declared, winding his scarf around his head in order to hide his blush.

Happy laughed. Maybe Natsu wasn't so clueless after all.


	71. Handling Repairs

**Author's Note:** _Just a warning - this whole chapter is all filler, which is why it got published fairly quickly. It may get pretty dry, but I felt like it was necessary to smoothly transition into the next fairy tale (which most of you can probably guess by the setting alone). Anyway, don't hate me. I'll try to not do this very often._

_By the way...over 700 reviews guys! You're all awesome! I'm mentally spazzing inside. X3_

* * *

><p><strong>LXXI: Handling Repairs<strong>

They remained in Shirotsume Town for about two weeks. Fried and Mirajane stayed as well, but their busy schedule left little time for visiting. Shirotsume was in bad shape, and it was up to the royal couple to get things back in order.

They kept Lucy and Natsu busy, too. Together they helped organize Duke Everlue's valuables and used the money to set up shelters for the homeless that plagued the streets. They donated money to small businesses in need of repair. Soon townspeople were risking a trip out in the streets to look for jobs, now that there seemed to be a demand for labor. People shoveled snow from the streets, worked in the kitchens of the shelters, helped with the repairs. Anything they could do to earn a quick buck, a warm blanket, or a meal.

Lucy helped out at the shelters often, sometimes even calling on one of her Spirits when people flooded in on the bitterest of winter nights. Virgo was by far the most efficient, but the townspeople seemed fondest of Aries and her shy, kind mannerism. Lucy liked talking to Loke the most, though. She wanted to get to know her twin brother better.

Loke was an odd assortment of contradictions. He had an extremely sharp, clever mind that he masked with goofy antics (example: shining a spotlight declaring "I love Lucy" across the back wall of one shelter, earning them many catcalls). He carried himself with the class and poise of an aristocrat married with a fierce leonine grace. Behind his sunglasses his eyes burned like two hot suns, but that was a product of his Spirituality; when he was human, his eyes had been the same brown as Lucy's and Layla's. The women all loved him, for he was deviously flirtatious, as charismatic as the Trimens at Blue Pegasus. However, Lucy knew who his secret heart belonged to. Loke was compassionate and courageous, but it took more than bravery to stand up for someone like he stood up for Aries.

Curiosity more than anything else had urged Lucy to summon Aries a few times under the pretense of needing help with the shelter. The Ram was cripplingly shy. At first she could barely look the customers in the eye, mumbling polite phrases as they passed while she focused steadily on the soup. Within a day or two she bloomed like a quiet flower, smiling and humming as she worked with the people. They certainly took to her. Perhaps they liked the vulnerability in her, her delicate purity and kindness. Or maybe they just liked that she could spout wool as soft as a cloud from her hands when they needed it.

Lucy chatted with her as they worked side by side, and eventually the topic came to Loke. Aries spoke of him in hushed, almost awed tones, her eyes distant and dreamy. Lucy knew that look, and her heart melted at it.

"I approve," Lucy said to Loke one day as they washed the pots and pans at the shelter.

He gave her a look. "Of?"

"Aries."

The Lion gave her another look, this one baffled. "What do you mean by - ?"

"Oh, you know what I mean. You don't have to make a big fuss about it or anything. I'm just letting you know that I like her. Just so...well, you know."

Loke slowly dropped the act, his expression solemn. He kept his eyes on the dishes for a while, and when he finally spoke his words were a bit sad. "...She doesn't know," he sighed, "about how I feel. I don't want to put her under any pressure after...after what she went through. I want her to be able to come to me when she needs something, no matter what it is. I want her to build the confidence, discover herself."

"I understand," Lucy said. "I was just letting you know that I approve, if you were wondering."

"I appreciate it," said Loke.

"And I think she feels the same way," Lucy added. "She just doesn't know how to go about it. You're very special to her."

"Thank you for the insight," Loke remarked. His tone wasn't rude, but it indicated that the conversation was over. "Enough about me. What about you and Natsu?"

Lucy frowned. "Things have been pretty difficult lately. We're absolutely broke, even though Fried and Mira are graciously paying for our hotel room and we're eating meals here. Natsu's been doing his acts every evening, but people just don't have spare change to give him. I don't think he'd accept it, anyway. I think he just likes seeing smiles on the people's faces. I'm getting paid for the work here, but it's not very much. We're trying to save up for when we go to Hargeon Town for Elfman's wedding."

"That's not what I meant, Lucy," Loke chuckled.

"I know," Lucy said. "I was artfully dodging the question. You missed a spot."

Loke pursed his lips, scanning the ladle for Lucy's imaginary food spot. "I see how it is. I spill my deep emotional turmoil to you, but all I get is a shallow progress report in return? Siblingship is a give-and-take, you know."

"From what Mira tells me, it's mostly a take," Lucy objected. "And besides, we're twins, so you should be able to read my mind. It's not my fault you're slacking on the job."

Loke flicked suds at her, Lucy flicked back, and soon the kitchen was a riot of soapy water.

Later, Lucy ran in to Natsu on the street on her way back to the Mel Inn from the shelter. She recognized the familiar ring of people who were slowly dissipating, seeking escape from the cold now that the warmth of the Salamander's entertainment was gone. Natsu was packing up his things, Happy zipping among the snowflakes to the delight of small children lingering after the show. Natsu spotted her and broke into a grin, waving as he swung the green bag over his shoulder. "Heya, Luce. Goin' back to the hotel?"

"Yes. You just finished your show?"

"Yeah. Didn't make any money, though."

"Didn't expect you to." Lucy shivered, pulling her coat closer around her. She was still damp from her battle with Loke.

Natsu noticed. "Why're you so wet?"

"Loke helped me out at the shelter today, and he decided it would be fun to splash me while we were washing dishes."

"Ah," Natsu said. Without further adieu, he shrugged out of his cloak and handed it to her without ceremony, standing in the snow with only his blazer and scarf for warmth. "Here, take it. Or else you're gonna get a cold."

"But you're hardly wearing any clothes!" Lucy objected. "You'll catch a cold. I'm fine until we get to the hotel."

"Lucy, I'm a Fire Dragonslayer. The snow doesn't bother me, see?" He lifted up his hand and let a snowflake float down on it. It melted on contact. "Take it."

"But - "

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" Natsu huffed, and draped the cloak around her shoulders, securing it with a tiny silver pin. It was a nice, thick cloak, warm from Natsu's furnace-like body heat. He swung the bag over his shoulder again and called to Happy, "C'mon, we're leaving!"

Happy did one last circle around the children and zoomed over to them. Snowflakes stuck to his blue fur, making him look fluffy and white.

Lucy tugged the cloak tighter around her, trying to hide her hot face. She pushed her conversation with Loke to the back of her mind. There was absolutely _nothing _going on between her and Natsu, nothing that surpassed platonic boundaries. And even if she did just so happened to feel something, it wasn't like he reciprocated it; he was too _dense_. Lucy doubted he'd had a romantic thought in his lifetime.

_The cloak means nothing_, she told herself. _He's just being nice, that's all. It's _Natsu_. Of course he's just being nice_.

"So," Natsu began, breaking her out of her reverie. "Are you excited to see the beach?"

"Huh?"

"The beach. Hargeon Town is a port city, so it's right by the ocean."

"Oh, right! The wedding," Lucy exclaimed, perking up considerably. "Yes, I'm very excited. When I read about the beach in books, it always seems so beautiful."

"It's pretty neat," Natsu confirmed. "Really big."

"I think 'vast' is the word you're looking for."

"No, you're thinking of boats, Lucy. The ocean is the thing that boats float on. You know, water and all that."

"That's a _mast _- oh, nevermind," Lucy huffed. "Anyway, is it smart to have an outdoor wedding in the middle of winter? Won't it be cold?"

"No, it's always pretty warm in Hargeon," Natsu said. "I think you'll like it."

Lucy mentally scrambled for a response. "I can't believe we're leaving tomorrow."

"Yeah. The sooner we get out of this place, the better."

"It's not so bad now that Everlue's gone," Lucy objected. "It's just...I never realized how many people needed help. I mean, there's been poverty in every city we've visited but...nothing like this. I wish there was more I could do."

"Maybe when you get to Acalypha you can talk to your father about it," Natsu suggested. "He's a hot-shot merchant and everything, right? Ex-royalty? Should be loaded."

"...Right."

"And anyway, Fried appointed Mr. Melon as the new duke," Natsu continued. "He's a decent guy. He knows how bad things are, and he'll get things done."

Lucy laughed. "Do you remember his face when Fried asked him? I thought Mrs. Melon was going to faint!"

"I know, that's how I felt when he asked me," Natsu chuckled.

"When who asked you what?"

"When Fried asked me if I wanted to replace Everlue."

Lucy screeched to a halt, gaping. "He _what_?"

"What?" Natsu stopped too, blinking at her.

"Fried asked you if you wanted to be a duke?"

"Yeah."

"And you turned him _down_?!"

"Well, yeah," Natsu said, as if it was perfectly logical to decline a prestigious title and a considerable amount of political power. "I don't want to be the Duke of Shirotsume Town. I don't want to be a duke at all."

"Why not? You'd have a castle, and riches, and you'd be able to help all these poor people!"

"I can't do that. I already promised you I'd get you back to Acalypha," Natsu reasoned. "And I'm always constantly searching for Igneel. I can't do that if I'm worried about taking care of a city. Besides, you said it yourself: when I come across a castle, it almost always ends up destroyed. I take that as a sign that I'm just not meant for aristocracy."

Lucy opened her mouth to argue, but Natsu plowed over her would-be protest. "Look, it's not that different from you, is it? You're a princess; technically you're the rightful heir to the Fiorian throne. If you wanted to, you could boot Fried right out of his position. But I don't see you planning on that."

"That's different," Lucy said.

"How?"

"Fiore already has a capable leader."

"So does Shirotsume."

"Yeah, _now_. But not when Fried asked you."

"So you're telling me that if Fried wanted to step down and he asked you to take his place, you'd do it?" Natsu challenged.

Lucy hesitated, frowning. Would she want the responsibility of an entire country on her shoulders?

"Exactly," Natsu concluded, obviously reading the uncertainty on her face. "I don't want it. And anyway, do you really think I'd be a capable leader?"

"Duke Natsu Dragneel of Shirotsume Town," Lucy tested. She snorted. "Nevermind, you're right. It doesn't roll off the tongue at all."

"Hey! This is the part where you're supposed to tell me that I'd be an awesome leader!"

"Well, if you think that then why did you turn down the dukeship?!"

"I don't think that, but you're my friend so you're supposed to! Isn't that right, Happy?"

"Aye."

"Shut up, stupid cat!"

Fried and Mirajane were waiting for them in the lobby of the Mel Inn, chatting with the newly appointed Duke and Duchess of Shirotsume. Mrs. Melon looked absolutely elated, while Mr. Melon nodded solemnly as Fried gave him some pointers. Mirajane pulled out of the conversation and came over to them, beaming. "Are you ready? We take the early train to Hargeon tomorrow morning."

"Train?" Natsu groaned. "You never said we were traveling by train."

"Well, we're certainly not going to _walk _there in this weather," Mira teased. "It's a short journey, Natsu. And think of all the benefits awaiting you at your destination! My siblings will be there, and the Raijinshuu, and Erza, and even Makarov. Jellal said he'd try to make it. I also invited Levy. I do hope Jet and Droy got the message to her...they're coming as well. All of Magnolia is going to be there, and the majority of Hosenka. We invited nobility from every city."

"Do you think my father will be there?" Lucy inquired. Natsu had already confessed that Fried and Mirajane knew her secret identity.

"Sir Heartphilia? I believe we sent him an invitation, but I'm not sure if he'll come," Mirajane replied honestly. "From what I gathered when we visited Acalypha, he's rather...conservative. Fried tells me he's not one for a social convention. But I'm sure that if we sent him a message that you'll be there - "

"No, I don't think a note is the way to go," Lucy said. "He hasn't seen me in eighteen years, after all. He probably wouldn't even believe it."

"That's true. Well, after the wedding you'll be en route to Acalypha," Mira replied chipperly. "I apologize if it takes you off your original path, but I know it would mean a lot to Elfman if you were there - and Evergreen too, although she wouldn't admit it. I'm sure that everyone would be happy to see you."

"We don't mind at all," Lucy assured.

"This was actually a detour anyway," Natsu added. "And we're excited to get there. Lucy's never even seen the beach."

Mira gave a peal of delightful laughter. "I didn't either until our honeymoon. Oh, you're going to love it, Lucy. It just takes your breath away."

Lucy smiled. "I can't wait."


	72. Hargeon Town

**LXXII: Hargeon Town**

Riding in a train with the King and Queen of Fiore was much different from riding a train when it was just the three of them.

For one thing, they got a compartment all to themselves. No need to share one, or pick the one with unidentifiable filth stuck to the window in order to get privacy. No, the five of them got a compartment at the very front of the train, the cleanest and most lavish available, all to themselves without question.

The staff on the train treated them with extra care, knocking on their compartment door and asking if they needed anything in tender, kind voices. They provided complimentary pillows and blankets, and whatever food their special passengers wanted (which, in Natsu's case, was a lot).

_That could have been me_, Lucy thought to herself as she watched Mirajane gently reject the advances of yet another stewardess. _It could still be me_.

She pushed that thought out of her head as quickly as it came. Instead she turned her attention to Natsu, who was quickly regretting all the food he ate as his motion sickness set in.

"No wonder he hates trains," Fried observed, grimacing at Natsu's expression.

"His face is almost as green as your hair," Mirajane giggled.

"This is why we walk everywhere," Lucy said dryly, mercilessly jabbing Natsu in the gut. He groaned and curled up like a roly-poly on the bench. "I swear, if we ever find Igneel I'm going to ask him about this."

"Still no luck, I presume?" Fried said, having heard second-hand about Natsu's foster-father from his wife. He vowed to alert them of any suspicious rumors and protect any dragons if they so happened to appear, but it had yet to be necessary.

"No, none yet. We haven't even heard any gossip flying around."

"It's a good thing that Natsu's been preoccupied with getting Lucy to Acalypha," Happy pitched in from his perch on a fluffy pillow. "Otherwise he'd be in a funk. He always gets a little moody when we wander around without any direction. He gets bored. Sometimes he'll even do odd jobs for people like Makarov until he gets a new lead. He's careful never to settle down in one place for long, though. He doesn't like to get attached in case Igneel's somewhere far away."

_He doesn't like to get attached_. Lucy swallowed down something vile that rose up her throat. "Natsu, careful?" she scoffed once she got it out of the way. "I think you might just be over thinking things, Happy."

The cat shrugged. "Aye, maybe. All I know is that we've never lived in one place for more than a year, and besides you and me he's never had anyone travel with him. People always remember him when he visits a town more than once, though."

"He's hard to forget," Mira agreed.

They lapsed into silence. Natsu still lay unconscious beside Lucy, his head resting on a pillow, his face a ludicrous shade of green. Happy snoozed curled up on another pillow. Fried read a book quietly, something in a language that Lucy didn't understand, while Mira leaned her head on his shoulder and dozed off. Lucy found herself daydreaming as she stared out the window, fantasizing about the beach.

As they neared Hargeon Town, the snow became scarce until it disappeared entirely. Tall forests consisting of scrub oak and pine trees thinned like an aging man's hair until there were no forests at all, only wide stretches of grassy, sandy land, occasionally dotted with castles surrounded by bunches of hovels and huts.

Lucy didn't care for all the open space. She'd always been surrounded by the walls of her fortress, or by the trunks of the trees, or by tall city buildings. Never before had she been able to see from horizon to horizon. The flat plains left her feeling exposed even in the confines of the train compartment.

Eventually more and more buildings began dotting the empty plains, until in a blink of an eye they were in a city.

It was different from any city Lucy had ever seen. Instead of cobblestones, the streets were lined in broken, crunched seashells. The buildings were made out of some sort of pale, dried mud (stucco, Fried called it), not the burnt red brick of Magnolia or the smoky grey rocks of Clover. Roofs were thatched with straw, not shingles, and the people of the town ran around in hardly any clothes at all.

"The structure and culture of a city all depends on its resources," Fried told her when she voiced her concerns. "Clover is situated on a mountain, so they use rocks and their houses are designed with wood-burning stoves, since it is cold for a majority of the year. Magnolia is surrounded by clay, so they use that to make bricks and pave their roads. Port cities are always unique because there is not much wood, and what's available is used to make docks or ships. They don't have clay or rock, only sand, so they make stucco. Same idea with the straw and seashells on the road. They don't have stoves or even fireplaces, really, because it hardly ever gets cold here. That's also why they wear so few clothes."

"Wait until you meet the Duke of Hargeon," Mirajane added, sitting up and yawning as they neared the station. "You may want to avert your eyes."

Lucy frowned at that, but didn't say anything. Every time she visited a new city, it amazed her how little she knew of the country she'd been living in for nearly eighteen years. In fact...

"Fried," she began, "what other countries are there besides Fiore? I know there are more, but I know even less about them than I do about this one."

"Well, our closest neighbor is Tenrou Island," Fried said, closing his book as the train screeched to a stop. "It used to belong to us, but they claimed independence about fifty years ago, under the reign of Judas Heartphilia. Your grandfather, Lucy."

Lucy blinked. She hadn't even thought about her grandparents. "Why?"

"Mavis Vermillion's grave is there," Fried explained. "It's a very sacred place. Most of the island belonged to Makarov Dreyar, since he's the heir to Vermillion's legacy, but that place is the home of monks who are the expert on Mavis Vermillion and her magic. He just...gave it to them. Whenever there's a problem that Zeref left, they're the people to call. I reported the Lullaby incident to them as soon as I found out about it, just to give you an example. They're trying to track it down, but with little luck, I'm afraid."

"Okay," Lucy said, stifling a shiver at Zeref's name. "Who else?"

"There's Edolas," Fried said. "They're almost identical in size to us, but they're in the middle of a civil war, so economically they're much weaker. Mages are seen as heathens there, and the non-magicked hunt them down and burn them alive."

Lucy gasped. "Why would they do that?"

"They have some strange idea that it will exorcise a demon that lives inside mages," Fried said with disgust. "Anyway, Edolas is also the motherland of a small island colony, Extalia. We've never been there, but I've been told that the inhabitants of it are flying cat creatures like Happy. It stands to reason that his parents could have moved here to escape the war. Extalia is also fighting for independence, because they're enslaved by the Edolese and kept as pets. Surprisingly enough, the Exsheeds treat mages even worse than most of the non-magicked Edolese do. They've completely shunned mages, even ones of their own kind. Exsheeds are very religious people, and their matriarch is clairvoyant. She claims she can _see _the demons inside mages."

"Wow," Lucy breathed.

"Pretty incredible, huh? That's as far as our explorers have traveled, but soon we'll be looking for even more land in the west."

Natsu perked up once the train came to a complete stop. "Are we here?"

"We sure are," Fried said. Before the words even left his mouth, Natsu was scrambling for this things and shooting out of the compartment. Lucy and Happy laughed at the royal couple's dumfounded expressions.

When Lucy stepped out of the train, she wrinkled her nose. There was a strange scent in the air, one that smelled like salt and fish. After the initial shock, though, she found it quite pleasant, and took deep breaths as the breeze caressed her skin. It was much warmer than Shirotsume, and sunnier too. Sand was already crunching under her feet.

"We'll check in with the duke first," Fried said. "He's hosting all royalty in Exhibitionist Castle. You three will be our special guests, so you may stay there as well."

Lucy thought it was a little presumptuous for Fried to expect the Duke of Hargeon to host the three of them without question, but she said nothing. The thought of trying to find a hotel room when it was only a week away from the second biggest wedding of the year made her skin crawl.

They walked from the station through the strange seashell streets of Hargeon Town. Lucy was transfixed with all the little pearly shapes set into the road until Natsu tapped her on the shoulder and pointed at something between two houses. It was a stripe of blue deeper than the sky, but that was all Lucy could see.

"That's the ocean," Natsu said. "I'll take you there later so you can get a better view. It's really neat, I think you'll like it."

Exhibitionist Castle was on the far side of town, close to the ocean. It was a practical stucco structure, whitewashed and the spires painted with black spirals. The towers were tall, even for a castle, and too thin to have big rooms. Near the top of the towers the walls seemed made entirely of glass.

"Lighthouses," Natsu explained. "At night they flash light lacrima at the top to alert ships that there's a port here."

"Have you ever met the duke here, Natsu?" Lucy inquired curiously.

"No, but he's apparently the youngest duke in Fiore," he said. "I think he's only seventeen, or something like that."

"So he's our age?"

"Yeah. And he's also got a reputation of being a powerful ice mage." At this, Natsu got a mischievous glint in his eye, the one that told Lucy he was already planning on demanding a duel with the Duke of Hargeon.

Lucy caught better glimpses of the ocean once they neared the castle, but mostly it was obscured by the buildings surrounding them. It seemed like an impressive pool of water, anyway. She could hear a strange sound, like a _whoosh_, but she couldn't place it. Natsu told her it was the waves crashing on the beach.

A fence made of tall driftwood stakes defended the castle close, held together by thick lengths of rope. The front gate was open for visitors, and people poured in and out of it. Their group joined the others filing in, until finally they made it inside and meandered through gardens blooming with palm trees, cacti, and saltwater ponds with glittering fish until they arrived at the doors of the castle, which were also open.

A rune knight intercepted them. "Name, please?"

"Fried Justine, King of Fiore," Fried said. "Accompanied by Queen Mirajane and three guests."

The knight blinked in recognition and bowed. "I apologize. Please, proceed, Your Majesty. Lady Evergreen is anxiously awaiting your arrival."

"I'm sure she is," Fried muttered dryly, heading inside the castle. It was decorated with intricate mosaics made of shells and colored glass, and seashells of every shape, size, and color. The floor was glossy beige stone with darker mocha designs. It was a pretty castle in its simplicity, lacking the lavish riches of Daybreak or Raijinshuu. The inside was less busy than the grounds, but people still swarmed within. Lucy felt a bit claustrophobic.

"You're back!"

The fierce, almost accusitory shout rang through the parlor, and moments later Evergreen was elbowing her way through the crowd toward them with Elfman in tow. Neither of them looked very happy.

"S/He is driving me crazy!" the couple complained in unison, jabbing a finger at one another. Evergreen scowled at Fried, while Elfman contested to his older sister.

"He won't agree with me on _anything _- "

" - I keep _telling _her that I don't care - "

" - and I absolutely _can't _get anything done - "

" - if she doesn't want to hear my opinion, she shouldn't _ask _me - "

" - all he does is mope about, almost like he doesn't _want _to get married - "

" - of _course _I want to get married! I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't - "

" - well, you sure aren't _acting _like it - "

" - I'm trying to _tell _you - "

" - all _I'm _saying is - "

" - I don't care what color the freaking _flowers _are - "

" - I _just _want to make sure we have the perfect wedding - "

" - because I'm marrying _you_, woman."

" - but I suppose it doesn't matter since I'm marrying _you _either way, you big oaf."

The couple lapsed in to silence, registering that there were indeed other people in the room. Elfman noticed Lucy, Natsu, and Happy standing awkwardly behind Fried and Mira. His face lit up. "You three! I'm glad you could make it!" He swept all three of them into a giant hug, suffocating them with his manly muscles. "Mira, you didn't tell me you were bringing them!"

"We hadn't planned to, but they were in Shirotsume," Mirajane explained.

"Congratulations, you two," Lucy attempted uncertainly, glancing between Elfman and Evergreen. "This was so...unexpected."

"For us, too," Evergreen admitted. "It was very sudden. But this idiot put so much thought and effort into his proposal that even I couldn't say no." Her nostrils flared suddenly, and she began shouting at someone about ribbon, grabbing Elfman's hand and dragging him toward the unfortunate employee.

That couple was replaced with another.

"Mira-nee!" Lisanna appeared from the crowd, embracing her sister. "You made it. And you brought stragglers!"

"It's good to see you!" Lucy said as she hugged Lisanna. As the white-haired girl moved to welcome Natsu, a tiki doll zoomed over and hit the Fire Dragonslayer on the head.

"Whoops," Bixlow snickered, grinning his signature grin. "Wasn't expectin' to see you guys here. Glad you could make it, though. I have a feeling this wedding's gonna be much more entertaining now."

"_Fun! Woo-hoo!_" his babies chorused.

"Aye," Happy said.

"It's not a party without us," said Lucy. She yelped when she was suddenly tackled from behind by tiny, slender arms.

"Lu-chan!" Levy squealed, releasing the frazzled blonde. "I can't believe you're here!"

"Levy! I missed you so much! How have you been? Where's Gajeel?"

"Oh, he's over there," Levy giggled, waving a hand in a dark corner where the Iron Dragonsalyer was sulking. "He doesn't like all the crowds."

"Crybaby," Bixow chuckled.

"Manners, Bixlow," Fried reprimanded. "I hate to cut this reunion short, but we haven't checked in with Fullbuster yet."

"We can take a hint," Lisanna teased, shooting him a wink. "We'll see you guys at dinner, alright? We'll catch up then."

"Definitely," Levy agreed. She skipped away to Gajeel's corner, and Lisanna looped her arm through Bixlow's and disappeared back into the crowd.

_Wow_, Lucy thought. _It's almost like everyone's getting married_.

"The duke will probably be up in his study," Fried said. "He's been hiding out there since we got here. I don't think he cares too much for all the noise."

"Then why did he agree to host everyone?" Lucy asked.

"He's good friends with Elfman. I'm inclined to believe that Evergreen's eyes had something to do with it also."

Fried guided the trio up to the duke's study while Mirajane left to mediate the wedding arguments between Elfman and Evergreen (which mostly involved standing there to give them something to yell at until they reached an impasse). Exhibitionist was a relatively small castle, only a little more than half the size of the grand structures Lucy had beheld so far. It was plainly decorated with mementos from all over Fiore, evidence of constant travel.

The study was in a secluded corridor in the very back of the castle. Fried gently rapped on the door and announced himself. A low voice allotted him entrance.

The duke's study was fairly large. It was an open, breezy space with many alcoves embracing hidden treasures, most of which seemed to be from frozen lands. Snowflakes trapped in resin littered the bookshelves, the fur of a winter-white beast covered most of the wooden floor, and paintings of majestic, snow-capped mountains decorated the walls. This was all at odds with the third, flat wall made entirely of glass, overlooking the mighty ocean. Lucy's breath caught when she saw it. The deep blue-green body of water stretched all the way into the horizon, waves crashing onto the shore with thunderous force. It was so..._vast_.

She was so busy looking at the view outside the window that she almost didn't notice when the duke stood from his desk in the middle of the room. He was a roguish looking young man of about seventeen, with unruly black hair and two frowning dark eyes. His frame was slim and lean like Natsu's, and his wardrobe was about as casual, just a simple shirt and pants and boots. Lucy was relatively surprised. Didn't nobility dress to the nines?

"Fried, I - " the duke began, but he froze mid-sentence when he noticed the new arrivals. "Oh, hello. I didn't realize I had more visitors." Something in his tone suggested he wasn't exactly enthusiastic.

"Gray, this is Natsu Dragneel, Lucy, and Happy," Fried introduced. "They are the ones who fought for justice in Magnolia, and recently assisted Erza in Clover. They're guests at the wedding and, although they are not aristocrats, they have made very important contributions and should be considered as such. Do you have any more room for them?"

The duke walked out from behind his desk and shook hands with each of them. His hand was dry and very, very cold. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Gray Fullbuster, Duke of Hargeon. I might have some room for you here, but it won't be prime conditions. You'll probably be cooped up downstairs. No more ocean-front views either."

"That's fine," Lucy assured. "We're just happy that you're hosting us on such short notice."

"Sure, I'm hosting everybody on short notice."

Fried pursed his lips, but didn't say anything.

"All the rooms at the bottom level are unoccupied," Gray continued, undeterred. "Just pick one and stay there. The only other person we're expecting is Duke Fernandes, and it's uncertain if he's even going to come considering the situation in Clover. He might just send a representative."

"Is Erza Scarlet here?" Natsu inquired.

"You know Erza?" Gray said, surprised as though he couldn't believe Natsu knew anybody worth knowing. "Yeah, she got here yesterday."

Natsu nodded. "He'll be here."

"Sure, whatever you say," Gray sighed.

"You got a problem with me, Fullbuster?"

"D'you got a problem with _me_, Dragneel? 'Cause I can kick your ass out of my castle, special guest of the king or not. I don't like ungrateful flame-brains like you."

"Okay," Fried intervened as Natsu's hands balled into fists. "I'll just escort these three to their rooms and help with the wedding."

"You do that," Gray said. He turned to Lucy. "It was nice meeting _you_."

"Um...you too," Lucy muttered uncertainly as Fried rushed her, Natsu, and Happy out of the study. He closed the door behind him, looking sour.

"I don't like his attitude," Natsu decided loudly.

"He's usually much more personable," Fried said as they walked. "The business with the wedding has just got him stressed. He's got to house over one hundred people, deal with a temperamental bride and groom, as well as several childhood friends who often undermine his authority in front of his subjects. Not to mention the fact that ever since his foster-mother died, his foster-sister has pressured him to marry in order to carry on the line, since she has no intention of doing so. His foster-brother is betrothed to a lady of a small town a few leagues east, and they're very competitive. He's had no luck in the romance department and...well, I'm sure you've noticed by now that this isn't exactly an environment for the single. Everyone is arriving in pairs, even his closest friend, Erza. I'm sure that seeing another couple just spoiled his mood, that's all."

"_Couple_?!" Natsu and Lucy said at the same time. "We're not - not even close - "

"I didn't mean it like that for you two," Fried amended, although he had a devious glint in his eye. "But Gray doesn't know that, of course. A man and a woman traveling together; he'll draw his own conclusions."

"Well, he can keep his conclusions to himself," Lucy muttered, blushing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend," Fried said. "I'm just asking you to cut the man some slack, that's all."

"Slack, my ass," Natsu grumbled.

Lucy elbowed him. "What he means is that we'll keep that in mind."

"Thank you." Fried stopped abruptly. "This is the last floor. You can have your pick of rooms, although I suggest the ones in the very back. You're likely to have more privacy and you might even be able to see some of the beach if you're lucky."

They nodded and continued down the corridor as Fried left, presumably to find his wife. It was the same pale shade as the rest of the castle, but dimly lit and without the exotic decorations. They chose rooms adjacent from each other (Happy even got his own room for once, beside Natsu's) at the end of the corridor as Fried suggested. They were identical in size and shape, furnished with minimalist elegance and practicality in mind. It was obvious that Gray did not get many visitors, and when he did they didn't extend their stay.

Lucy could make out the solid blue line of the ocean from her window, although her view of the waves was blocked by a tall dune covered in patches of swaying grass. She set her meager belongings down on the bed and pressed her nose up against the glass, watching the languid progression of a ship across the water.

She jumped when Natsu tapped her on the shoulder. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Pretty neat, huh? I told you you'd like it."

"I've read about the ocean in books, but it's more incredible than I imagined," Lucy said. "There's just...so much water. More water than I've ever seen in my life. It's kind of scary."

"There's more to the ocean than water, you know," said Natsu, leaning against the window beside her. "It's like another world under the sea. There's so much that people don't know about it, so it's like a big, dangerous, unvoyaged mystery land."

"Yeah," Lucy said lamely. She was a little bewildered by Natsu's poetic articulation. Then again, the big blue sea was probably one of the few places that Natsu hadn't ever traveled in Fiore; it was no wonder he was so mystified by it.

"Hey, Luce, have you ever seen a sunset?"

"No, but I've read about those too."

"Come with me," Natsu demanded, grabbing her hand and tugging her out of the room before she even had a chance to agree. They raced through the castle corridors until they found an exit. Happy flew behind them, apologizing on their behalf as the Dragonslayer plowed over various people. Once they made it out side they raced across the sand, over the big dunes, and all the way down into the beach. Lucy was sore, dirty, and panting by the time they reached the beach, but whatever breath she had left was taken away by the sight. The sea was even _bigger _up close. It stretched for an eternity, embracing the land with majestic, maternal arms. She wiggled her toes in the wet sand, letting the clear water lap at her feet. It chilled her skin.

Natsu got her attention, nudging her with his elbow. "Look at that, Lucy," he said, pointing straight ahead. She squinted against the sun, which was poised above the horizon. Suddenly it dipped below, disappearing into the water. Lucy gasped. The sea and sky were caught on fire, ablaze with orange and red and pink as the sun laid to rest.

It was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen.

She stared, transfixed, for several minutes until the sun finally dipped completely below. Just as suddenly as it happened, the sunset was over and night prevailed. The only evidence was the warm magenta light coming from the horizon and the white blotches stuck to Lucy's eyelids. The moon shone above now, silver and aloof, while the first stars began to appear.

"What do you think now?" Natsu asked.

"I...I don't know what to say," Lucy whispered. "That is...beyond words. No book could ever do it justice."

"Yeah, I really like it here. I think when I find Igneel, we might move near the sea. Not here, though, because I don't think I could deal with that stupid duke all the time."

"Really?" Lucy said, frowning and politely ignoring the jab at Gray. "I always thought you'd move to Magnolia. It seems like you spend the most time there."

"I like it there, but I don't think Igneel would," Natsu explained. "There's not much room to fly around, even with the forest. He'd like it here best, I think, as long as the people understand he isn't dangerous unless you get on his bad side."

Lucy shuddered at the prospect of an angry dragon. "Well...thank you, Natsu. This was really something special. I loved it."

"No problem," Natsu grinned. "We can come here every day while we're here and watch it, if you want. It's like clockwork."

"I'd like that," Lucy said. A gust of sea breeze made her shiver at the unexpected chill of it. She guessed even port cities didn't miss out on all the joys of winter. "Let's get back inside. It's almost dinner, isn't it?"

Natsu and Happy both perked up. "SEAFOOD!"

They ran off to the castle, abandoning Lucy on beach.


	73. Dueling

_**Author's Note:** Sorry for the longish wait on this chapter; I'm going through kind of a rough time right now and haven't had the time or inclination to right. But now we're back on track! And behold: intrigue in honor of Valentine's Month! For all you people like me, who celebrate it vicariously through their favorite anime, movie, or book characters. For all you people with actual lives, well...more power to you_.

_On a happier note, check out some awesomely amazing fanart done by _**Sioa0fujia**_ on deviantART_: **sioa0fujia. deviantart /art/A-Tale-Or-Two-351355660** _(with no spaces, of course, since FF won't let me post actual links). It's great, guys, go check it out!_

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><p><strong>LXXIII: Dueling<strong>

Dinner at Exhibitionist Castle was really more like a miniature ball. Gray's table was not nearly large enough to compensate all the guests in his castle, so dinner was set up in a buffet style. People walked around with plates in hand, socializing and eating bits of everything. Most of the entrees were seafood so fresh that Lucy had to do double takes to make sure some of the options weren't still swimming.

There were many familiar faces scattered about the dining hall. The Take Over siblings and the Raijinshuu were the primary focus of attention, considering two of them were royalty, two of them were getting married in a few days, and the other two were such an unlikely pair that people had trouble believing they were even betrothed.

Levy was also very popular among the guests, as she was a credited scholar with a contagious, sunny personality and wealthy parents. Gajeel was much less popular, but he was so out of his element that he stuck to Levy's side, and was constantly surrounded by curious people as a consequence.

"Where's Pantherlily?" Lucy asked the Iron Dragonslayer, who had only dared leave the blunette's side when he saw Lucy going to the punch bowl and decided he was comfortable enough with her to use her as an excuse to get away from the crowd.

"Back at the Rose," Gajeel answered. "I told him to stay and take care of it while we were gone. Now I'm slowly regretting not trading places with him."

"You're not enjoying yourself?" Lucy teased.

Gajeel only offered her a growl in response before ordering her to walk back over to Levy so he could safely follow.

Makarov Dreyar represented Magnolia Town. He greeted Natsu, Lucy, and Happy with the gusto of a neglected relative and chatted with them for several minutes, too jolly with the depth of his cups. Erza was also there, without armor for once. She still gave each of them a crushing embrace and reminded Natsu about the duel he owed her, which inspired a wicked grin on the Salamander's face.

Jellal arrived at last minute, greeting everyone warmly and apologizing for his tardiness. He joined Erza and swept her up into a kiss. Apparently distance hadn't hampered their relationship overmuch; they still visited each other frequently, though Erza had yet to accept his marriage proposal.

"Everyone wishes you their best," Jellal told her. "I was close to taking Shou with me, but then I knew that Millianna would have wanted to come and she wouldn't leave without Wally, who would have wanted to invite Richard...I left Shou in charge instead. I'm hoping that was a good decision."

"They'll be fine," Erza said. "Reconstruction in Clover is going well."

"It's nothing like what happened in Shirotsume," Lucy agreed.

Erza and Jellal gave her a blank look. "What happened in Shirotsume?" they inquired simultaneously.

Lucy and Natsu ended up repeating that story several times, as many people had heard whispers but no one had gotten the full narrative. They didn't go into detail, but everyone seemed relieved that Everlue was out of the picture. He wasn't well liked even among his own class.

For every familiar face at dinner, there was a stranger. Most were nobles invited to the wedding. Makarov introduced them to Sir Goldmine of Quatro Cerberus, an older man in dark, almost villainous attire. He seemed nice enough despite his appearance. There was also Duke Gildarts of Onibus Town, a boisterous man with a reputation for destruction that surpassed even Natsu's. It was rumored his adventures often condemned entire cities to accidental ruin.

"Gray is very nervous about having him here," Mirajane confided in Lucy.

Naturally, Natsu and Gildarts got along grandly.

As for Duke Fullbuster himself, he seemed withdrawn from the festivities. The only people he really talked to were Erza, Makarov, and Elfman. Levy suggested that Gray's strange behavior had something to do with the presence of his foster siblings.

"They haven't all three been together under the same roof since their mother died," she explained solemnly. "The relationship between Leon and Gray suffered tremendously, and now they can barely stand each other. Ultear travels between the two of them, but I hear she drives the both of them nuts."

Lord Leon Vastia of the Isvan Mountains was as different from his foster brother in appearance as could be. His skin and hair were so fair and his features so sharp that he almost seemed chiseled out of ice. He wore expensive, glamorous clothes lined in thick fur. His almond-shaped eyes swept coolly about the room, often stopping to give Gray a frigid glare that the duke returned with expertise. On Leon's arm was Lady Sherry Blendy, his fiancée. She was a flamboyant young woman with strawberry curls and a breathless voice. She seemed utterly infatuated with Leon, and when she wasn't going on about how great he was she talked about her pet rat, Angelica, whom she'd left at home to the care of "the gamekeeper, Toby."

Gray's other foster sibling, Lady Ultear Milkovich, was as isolated as he was. Lucy couldn't imagine why. Ultear was a striking woman in a black silk dress cut in all sorts of scandalous ways, her pale skin glowing with radiance and her blue-black hair tumbling down her back like a waterfall of ink. Her dark eyes scanned the crowd methodically, analyzing and calculating. Her eyes didn't miss a thing when they raked over you. Ultear gave Lucy the willies.

Erza caught Lucy eyeing Ultear and snorted. "I wouldn't give her too much thought if I were you, Lucy," she advised. "She's mean and nasty, all right, but like any snake she won't bother you if you don't bother her."

"I take it you don't like her," Lucy said, startled at the venom in Erza's voice.

"She's just jealous," Jellal teased with a rare grin, popping up beside them. "Ultear and I are pretty good friends since she often stops in Clover on the way between Hargeon and the Isvan Mountains. Erza thinks that I will eventually succumb to her feminine wiles, if I haven't already. Which I haven't, and won't."

"I am not _jealous_," Erza objected, although twin spots of pink appeared on her cheeks. "I just don't care for the way she treats people, that's all."

"Oh, I don't blame you for your envy," Jellal continued as though she hadn't spoken. "Ultear is the embodiment of temptation, on the outside at least. Inside she's as cold as the mountains she came from."

"And how do _you_ know that?"

"See? You are jealous."

"And you are dodging my question."

Lucy quickly retreated from that conversation. She ended up running directly in to Gray, who was snacking on some shellfish at the table. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't see you."

"S'okay," the duke said around a mouthful of mussel. "Lucy, right?"

"Yes."

"You're the one traveling with that pink-haired idiot and the blue cat?"

Lucy felt like she ought to protest the slight against Natsu, but deep down she knew that Gray wasn't wrong. "Uh, yes, that's me."

"Makarov and Erza speak highly of you," he said. "And so does Elfman and...well, pretty much everyone here. Then again, they speak highly of the Salamander too, so that might not exactly be praise."

"Um...thank you? I think."

"How are you liking your stay in Hargeon? Mirajane told me you'd never seen the ocean before, that you've lived in Magnolia your whole life. Do you like it?"

Lucy's face lit up. "Oh, yes, it's beautiful! I never imagined it was so...so..."

"I understand," Gray chuckled. "It's hard to put a word on it."

Lucy opened her mouth to reply, but was caught entirely off-guard when Gray quite suddenly began to take off his shirt. He pulled it over his head and neatly tossed it out of sight, wearing a completely straight face. Lucy blushed ten shades of red, although it oughtn't have mattered considering Natsu's idea of a shirt was practically the same thing. She'd seen plenty of male chests, and Gray's was no different. Just the sight of him stripping in public shocked her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, blinking at her as though nothing had happened. "You look feverish."

"Uh...um...y-you..."

"HEY! What the hell are you _doing_, pervert!" Lucy felt a mixture of relief, horror, and something else that she couldn't place when she saw Natsu storming over to them, looking ready to punch Gray's face in.

"What are you talking about, stupid? You're the pervert running around half-naked, not me," Gray said, looking down as he said it. His eyes grew wide with alarm. "What the hell?! Where's my shirt?"

"You just took it off!" Natsu shouted. "In front of Lucy! In public! I mean, seriously, get a room or something."

"_Natsu!_"

"That's impossible, I think I would have remembered if I'd taken my own shirt off," Gray scoffed. As he talked, his hand undid the button of his trousers and he began to slip out of them. Lucy hid her eyes behind her hands. Then she peaked between her fingers.

Natsu was outraged beyond words. Luckily Erza stepped in before things could escalate into violence. "Just calm down, Natsu," she ordered, standing between them. "This happens all the time. It's a...um...bad habit of Gray's, if you will."

"Bad habit? He's a freaking lech!"

"Who're you callin' lech, flame-brain?!"

"You, droopy-eyes!"

Gray's hand went for his underwear.

"That's enough!" Erza thundered. She'd exquipped into her standard armor, a sword in hand. "Gray, get your clothes back on. Natsu, go away. Gray's got a condition that we are working on. He just strips at random times. We don't really know why. It's just something he does. He wasn't making any moves on Lucy."

"Like I care," Natsu muttered as he trudged away, burying his face in his scarf. Erza helped Gray look for his shirt. Lucy stood there, blinking in astonishment, wondering what she'd just witnessed. She tensed when she felt eyes on the back of her neck, and turned to see Ultear watching her, smirking with crimson lips, one long fingernail tapping her chin.

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><p>Natsu didn't speak to her again until the next morning. Lucy went to bed worried that his inexplicable irritation would continue into the next day, but luckily when they met in the corridor and left for breakfast he pretended like nothing happened. Lucy decided to let it be. Although she was fiercely curious about his strange behavior, she didn't want to risk upsetting him again. His animosity toward Gray was already at a boiling point.<p>

After a quick breakfast, Exhibitionist Castle was swept up in a frenzy of activity, similar to what had welcomed the trio the day before. The wedding was only a few days away. Lucy tried to help as much as she could, which usually involved doing something and then redoing it until Evergreen gave her seal of approval. She was a very demanding, very picky bride. If it hadn't been for her extravagant taste, the wedding would probably only take a day or two set up. As it were, people were constantly redoing tasks; and they took shifts, which accounted for all the coming and going in the castle.

When Lucy could barely stand anymore, she handed off her task (attaching glittery gold ribbon to everything in sight) to poor Droy, and slipped outside. On the beach outside the castle she found an enormous crowd gathered around something. A blur of blue flew out from the center and nearly ran into her. "There you are!" Happy exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "I was just getting ready to find you. Erza and Natsu are getting ready to duel!"

"Really?" Lucy said. She elbowed her way to the inner ring of people. The two contestants eyed each other inside the circle. Erza wore her standard armor, and Natsu his standard grin. Jellal stood between them, obviously acting as the referee.

"Alright, I suggested that everyone take a step back," he advised. The crowd unanimously gave the two duelers another few yards of sand.

"Hmph," said someone beside Lucy as they shuffled backward. With a start she realized that Gray was beside her, topless again. "This fight isn't even worth watching. Erza'll take him down in the blink of an eye."

"You obviously ain't ever seen the Salamander throw down," Gajeel, who had somehow appeared on Lucy's other side, objected gruffly. "I know the Titania's s'pose to be powerful, but she ain't got nothin' on a Dragonslayer."

"Aye," Happy chirped.

Gray made a sour face and turned to Lucy. "What do you think?"

"What, me?" Lucy said, surprised. She thought about it, observing the two warriors. "Well…I've seen both of them in action, and they're both pretty strong. Erza has a whole arsenal of weapons on her side, though, and Natsu's really only got fire. I think Erza will win."

"Ha," Gray chided.

"But," Lucy added, "I don't think it will be as quick as you think. Natsu will give you a run for your money."

"Ha," Gajeel mocked. Then he took a few bills out of his pocket and waved them in the air. "Thirty jewels that Salamander kicks it ten minutes in."

If Natsu heard the bet over the din of other gamblers, he didn't show it. Once all the bets were taken and Jellal dictated people were at a safe proximity, he raised his hand for quiet. "Alright! Ready, set, fight!"

The crowd was tense, waiting for the first move. Erza was deceptively relaxed. Natsu was in an aggressive stance, calculating. Which was strange, because usually he just plowed on full speed ahead in a fight. _Wow_, Lucy thought. _He must really be taking this seriously_.

He did end up making the first move. And it wasn't a subtle one. One moment he was standing there, and the next he was heading straight for Erza, completely ablaze, shrieking a fierce battle cry. It was enough to unnerve the spectators, but the Titania seemed less than perplexed. There was a moment when they collided and everything was on fire. Then Natsu was thrown back, and Erza was adorned in red and black armor, a wicked-looking sword in her hands.

"My Flame Empress armor," she explained, tossing her hair. "I expected as much out of you, Natsu. I'm impressed with your strength, but raw power isn't enough to defeat me."

"Figured I'd give it a shot," Natsu retorted, wiping something from his mouth.

"Is that…is that _blood_?!" Lucy shrieked. "How hard did she _hit_ him?!"

"It's a duel, Lucy," Happy said contemptuously.

"Aren't these things supposed to be at least a little friendly?"

"Oi, Blondie, shut up unless you got somethin' intelligent to say," Gajeel growled. "I got money on this, so I'm tryin' to watch."

Natsu stood up again, grinning. "Your turn."

"Are you sure?" Erza inquired.

"Bring it."

"If you wish." Erza poised on her toes for a millisecond before running toward Natsu at a dead sprint, so fast that she was just a scarlet blur. Natsu caught her sword as she swung in a neat arc, and sent her sprawling halfway across the circle. He was on her before she could get up again, but she kicked him in midair and leapt up again. She stabbed her sword down and he rolled, shooting flame up into her face. The armor deflected the heat, but not the light. Before Erza could have a chance to recover he'd struck a blow on her side, sending her staggering to the left. She swung and cleanly sliced his shoulder, only inches from vital organs.

"This is outrageous!" Lucy cried as the people around her cheered for more gore. "They're going to kill each other!"

Erza kicked but Natsu caught her ankle and flipped her, somehow disarming her in the process. A desperate wrestling match ensued, with Erza coming out on top, but she scurried away to avoid Natsu's fiery roar. Even her Flame Empress armor emerged a bit singed from that attack.

"Seven minutes," Gray murmured as the fight dragged on, getting more and more violent as it progressed. Even he seemed a bit awed.

"Is that good?" Lucy whispered.

"I've never lasted more than four against her."

Just as he said this, Erza leaped up and kicked Natsu in the face with the grace of a ballerina. He hit the ground in a sprawl and stayed down, not moving. Jellal rushed into the ring and checked his vitals, then grabbed Erza's hand and raised in into the air. "And the victory goes to the Titania, Erza Scarlet!"

Natsu groaned and struggled to sit up. His face was a motley of bruises and cuts, but somehow Erza's remained unscathed except for a small cut on her forehead. The rest of her was fairly tarnished, though. She held out a hand and helped Natsu up. "Sorry, I think that might have gotten a bit out of hand," she admitted. "I didn't mean to mess up your face so close to the wedding."

"Don't worry, it'll heal in a few days," Natsu replied good-naturedly. "That was an awesome duel, except that I lost. We'll have to go at it again some other time."

Erza blinked, then broke into a smile. "Yes, we will."

"This is boring," Gray declared. He turned and stormed from the beach.

"Only 'cause you didn't win any money!" Gajeel chortled after him, grinning as he collected his winnings. "Thanks, Blondie. I'll be able to get some souvenirs now."

Lucy shook her head. "It's a strange world when people earn money by watching people beat each other up."

"You're livin' in a strange world, then."

Elfman burst from the circle, grinning. "Oi, Salamander! Tomorrow, you and me!"

Gajeel turned expectantly to Lucy, as if asking, _How long will this one take?_ Lucy threw her hands up in refusal and abandoned the chaos on the beach for the wedding chaos inside the castle.

She strolled down a side corridor in an attempt to avoid the crowd using the front entrance. She screeched to a stop when she heard the sound of an argument up ahead, and made out the silhouettes of two people in the lacrima light. Morally she knew that she should politely go the other way, but she only found herself edging closer when she recognized one of the voices.

"—none of your business," Gray hissed. Lucy could make out his shadow closest to her. He seemed to be talking to a shapely woman, but Lucy couldn't place her form or voice.

"I'm not trying to poke in your business, brother," the woman said. Lucy almost gasped when she realized that the low, attractive voice belonged to Ultear. "I'm just giving you a friendly notice, that's all."

"I don't need you setting me up with anyone. Especially considering the girl you're trying to set me up with arrived with another man."

"Surely even you can see they aren't together," Ultear purred. "I can see you like her, brother. Perhaps not intimately, but you could do worse. Marrying for love is such an old-fashioned concept, don't you think? And after all, she's fair enough, intelligent as far as I can tell, and word of her kindness travels through the land…not to mention she's probably bloody rich. And you like her. What more could you ask for?"

"I'm disturbed that you invest so much attention in my personal affairs," Gray deadpanned. He adopted an entirely different dialogue when speaking with his foster-sister. It was professional and regal, something like a duke should sound, opposite of the slang he flung around otherwise. His words to her seemed…distant. Cold. Lucy wondered if he talked to Leon this way as well.

"Like I said, I'm just trying to help you," Ultear insisted. "Leon, he's eyeing your position."

"No, he isn't. He could never rule a port. He's too attached to the mountains."

"He is, but the children he sires with that Blendy woman are another story entirely. Fathers all have high expectations for their children, but wouldn't it be typical of Leon to want his son or daughter to usurp the man he hates most? The man whom he blames – "

"_Don't say it_," Gray yelled with enough force to cause Lucy to flinch. "Don't you dare say it. You know Leon doesn't really think that."

"Doesn't he, brother?"

Lucy gathered her wits and decided to take action. Ultear was obviously goading Gray into something, and Lucy had a bad feeling about it. She recalled Erza's warning not to get involved, but she couldn't let Ultear stir the metaphorical pot any more than she already had.

So she stepped out from behind the corner, looking appalled when she saw the foster siblings in the corridor. They both whipped around to look at her. Gray's scowl became a clean slate. Ultear's clean slate became a scowl.

"Lucy," Gray said, straightening from his aggressive posture. "What are you doing in these tunnels?"

"I was coming back from the duel and I didn't want to get caught up in the wedding madness, but on my way to my room…I got lost," Lucy lied. She feigned embarrassment in what she hoped as a believable manner.

Gray gave Ultear a glance, then said, "I'll lead you out, then. Ultear, we'll talk later."

"No need," she murmured, raising an eyebrow at her brother. "I think I got my point across."

Gray glared at her as he gently but forcefully took Lucy by the elbow and guided her out of the corridor. When they were out of earshot, he let her go. "Thanks for that," he said. "I hate talking to her, but she doesn't offer much in the means of escape."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy said innocently, blinking her eyelashes. "I really was lost."

Gray smirked at her. "So, how much did you hear?"

"Not a lot," Lucy admitted. "Just the part about Leon wanting to take over your position, or something."

"Ah. That."

"You don't think that's true, do you?"

"No, I don't put stock in it. Leon doesn't like the ocean, and he won't be having children for a while. Besides, I doubt his brats would be strong enough to take this city from me anyway."

"Then why would she plant that idea in your head?"

"Ultear? She's just amusing herself."

Lucy thought about this. "Why does she want you to get married so badly?"

"…You heard that part too, huh?"

"Yes, some of it. Enough to know she's trying to set you up with someone."

Gray sighed. "I honestly don't know. I have plenty of theories. One is that she just doesn't want to get stuck running Hargeon if something were to happen to me, and that by marrying me off and supplying an heir she won't have to worry about it. And she wants to marry me off to someone rich to elevate her status without actually having to do any work. My other theory is that she wants to torment my future wife like she tortures poor Sherry.

"Unfortunately," Gray continued, "I'm starting to see some of her reasoning. Until recently I thought I had plenty of time for marriage and all that crap, and that I would either find the perfect girl or go on like Gildarts; you know, bachelor for life. But…now I'm starting to think that maybe settling down with a nice girl that I like well enough will do. After all, I do want Hargeon in good hands when I can't run it anymore, and what are my chances of finding a perfect girl? There is one drawback to that, though: all the nice girls I like are taken."

_Well_, Lucy thought with a little sigh of relief, _that takes me out of the running then_. Aloud she said, "I know the feeling. This wedding makes all us single people completely too aware of how single we are. But I wouldn't give up yet. You've still got plenty of time."

Gray stopped abruptly. Lucy realized that they were outside her door. He raised an eyebrow at her, as if considering something. "You're right," he said. "Maybe that's what it is. The wedding. And everyone's getting engaged. They make it look so easy; just like they cast their line into the water and hooked a good fish right away."

"Sure?" Lucy uncertainly agreed. "I've never been fishing, so I wouldn't know what hooking a good fish is like. But I think I understand the analogy."

"Never been fishing, huh?" Gray muttered. "Well, how about you come fishing with me tomorrow?"

"Eh?"

"You know, since you've never done it. It's pretty fun. I've got a sailboat we could go on. Ever been sailing?"

"No…I've read about it, I think. You can really take me sailing?"

"Yeah. It'll be fun." Gray offered her a tentative smile. "Let's say…late tomorrow morning?"

"Um…okay."

"Meet me outside, on the docks. You know where those are?"

"Yes."

"Right. See you there tomorrow then."

"Um, okay. See you."

Lucy watched the duke leave, feeling confused. She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought he might have just asked her out on a date.


	74. According To Plan

**Author's Note: **_Let me preface this by saying that I have a rhudimentry understanding of sailing at best. I've never been, and I don't know anyone who sails. I did my best. Also, this chapter may be somewhat confusing...bare with me. It will clear up next time. :)_

* * *

><p><strong>LXXIV: According To Plan<strong>

"Oh," said Levy scandalously over breakfast the next morning, "Gray is totally taking you on a date, Lu-chan."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. With as much as I've been asked out, don't you think I'd know the signs?"

Gajeel peered at her over the rim of his glass. "Who's askin' you out, shorty?"

"No one, _now_," Levy said, waving her fork at him dismissively. "How can they, when I live in that contraption you call a castle in the middle of the forest? Anyway, don't you agree?"

"Huh? I'm not in on this. It's girl talk."

"Come on, Gajeel. We need a man's opinion."

"I thought you said you were positive?" Lucy objected.

"Second opinions never hurt anyone," Levy retorted. Although personally Lucy just thought she wanted to see what Gajeel's response would be. She was kind of curious herself.

The Iron Dragonslayer grumbled and roughly set his tankard on the table. "Well, I guess Fullbuster's got the hots for Blondie, if what you're sayin' is true."

"See? It's settled then. Gray asked you on a date," Levy said smugly.

Lucy's lips puckered into a frown. "What should I do?"

"What do you mean, 'what should you do'? Go sailing with him, obviously! I mean, it can't hurt, Lu-chan. It's just one date, and it's not like you're seeing somebody else. Unless you and Natsu—"

"No," Lucy snapped quickly. "I'm not—I mean, we aren't—"

"Then what's the big deal?"

"I guess…there isn't one?"

"Is there?" Gajeel said, quirking an eyebrow.

"No," said Lucy with a bit more confidence. "No, you know what? There isn't. There is nothing wrong with me going on a date. I don't know why I'm even hesitating. It's just one date, right? It's not like I'm going to _marry_ the guy or anything."

"Exactly," Levy conceded.

"I'm going to go get ready," Lucy said, standing up and storming out of the dining hall. Levy smiled at her on her way out, taking a sip of orange juice.

"You're plannin' somethin', aren't you?" Gajeel said as Natsu walked in, searching the crowd for Lucy just as she ducked out. "I'm pretty sure you said Blondie and the Salamander were meant for each other last time we saw them."

"That's because they are," Levy said. "They just don't realize it consciously yet. But jealousy is a powerful thing, Gajeel."

"So you're usin' Fullbuster to make the Salamander jealous?"

"Actually, Mira is the mastermind behind all this," Levy explained, catching the queen's eye in that moment and giving a sly wink. Mirajane's lips pulled up into a smile, but no one else caught it. "When she saw how Natsu overreacted to Gray's stripping yesterday, she decided their relationship was developed enough to try to get them together."

"Salamander and Fullbuster?"

"No! Natsu and Lucy. Get with the program, Gajeel.

"Well _sorry_. Word your sentences a little better, woman."

"Use contextual clues! Jeez. In what universe would Natsu and Gray ever be together?"

Gajeel just rolled his eyes and took another sip of his coffee.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes after her conversation with Levy and Gajeel, Lucy had prettied herself up and was strolling down the beach to the docks. They were impressive wooden structures that held many bobbing sailboats. The further away the docks got, the bigger the ships became. Huge cargo ships dumped their wares, mostly fish, onto the docks. Lucy hoped they stayed away from there. It smelled horrible.<p>

She stood by the docks idly for a few minutes, looking down at herself. She'd had Cancer do her hair in stylish pigtails, and he even helped her pick out an outfit—a cute white top and blue skirt paired with sandals. Lucy wasn't sure what she was so nervous about. She told herself that it wasn't because this was her first date. She also said it had nothing to do with all the commotion down the beach, where Natsu and Elfman were duking it out.

Speaking of dukes, a rather handsome one was heading toward her. His black hair was artfully tousled, and his white collared shirt was open enough to reveal a substantial amount of toned chest and a glittering silver chain. He strolled down casually with his hands in his pockets, somehow managing to look utterly bored before he caught her eye. Then he offered her a smirk.

_Maybe this isn't such a good idea_, Lucy thought, biting her lip as she glanced at the crowd down the beach. She looked up at the sky, which was a uniform shade of light gray. It seemed like it _could_ sprinkle, but not so much that she could use the weather to take a literal rain check.

Gray reached her before she could think up another believable excuse. "Morning, Lucy," he said politely. "You look nice."

"Uh, thanks," she said. "So do you."

"Ready to go?"

"Where are we going, exactly?"

"Fishing," Gray said. He offered his arm. "We're going fishing. On a boat."

"A boat?" Lucy gawked. She automatically took his arm, distracted by this new detail. "I've never been on a boat before."

"Never? Well, let's hope you don't get seasick."

Lucy gulped. If seasickness was anything like Natsu's illness on trains and carriages, she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to go sailing. However, her mind changed once again as Gray led her a bit further down the docks and toward a wooden sailboat that gleamed even in the unflattering light. It was about the size of three carriages, with a few crisp white sails and a complex pulley system of ropes and levers. The name on the side read, _Ice Queen_.

"This belongs to you?" Lucy asked, her eyes side with wonder.

"Yup. I got it when I first became Hargeon's duke," Gray answered as he helped her aboard and readied for sailing. Lucy noticed that the boat was already stocked with bait, fishing hooks, nets, and other paraphernalia, as well as a solitary picnic basket. Again, she got a little tight feeling in her stomach. Maybe it was the seasickness he'd mentioned.

Gray hopped aboard before she could voice her concerns, and with a few adjustments they were off. It was slow-going at first, but soon they were far from the shore and bobbing in the middle of the ocean. Gray busied himself with working the sails and steering until Exhibitionist was just a blob.

"How're you doing?" he called to Lucy, who was watching the land shrink as she gripped the banister of the boat. Actually, she was doing rather well. The rush of sailing was exhilarating to say the least, and the gentle motions of the boat didn't bother her overmuch.

"This is great!" she laughed, smiling as the water lapped the sides of the _Ice Queen_ and sprayed a bit in her face. It was cold, enough to raise gooseflesh on her arms and neck, but it only added to the excitement.

Gray's lips turned up at the corners. "Glad you like it. Hey, you see that over there?"

Lucy squinted at the path of Gray's finger, and saw dozens of tiny, fluid movements in the water. "Yeah, I think so. What is it?"

"Dolphins," he explained. "They're usually leaving the shallow water at this time. They're easier to see when it's not so gloomy out here, but what can you do?"

"Wow, dolphins," Lucy breathed, blinking at the pale shapes of the animals with a newfound respect. She never imagined she'd see dolphins in her lifetime.

"It's really cool when you can get in the water with them," Gray said a bit wistfully. "If you're calm, they usually just come right up to you."

"That sounds amazing."

Gray grinned. "Wanna try it?"

"I can't swim," Lucy shot back, wrinkling her nose at him. "And even if I could, I wouldn't let you throw me overboard."

"Like you'd have a choice." Gray jumped down from the upper deck and came up next to her, leaning his elbows down on the banister. "So let me get this straight. You've never seen the ocean, or dolphins, and you can't swim."

"That's right."

"What, do you live under a rock?"

"No, I just don't live where you do," Lucy sniffed, tossing her hair. "I bet you've never seen the East Forest, or bathed in the hot springs in Hosenka, or seen a giant flying snake before."

"I've done the first two," Gray said. "Can't say I've seen a giant flying snake, though. That one's going on my bucket list."

"Well, I should hope so. You haven't lived until you've seen a giant flying snake."

"When did you see one?"

"Oh, when I was in Clover with Natsu," Lucy said. "Jellal and Erza told you the story of Oracion Seis and Lullaby, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, one of the Oracion Seis members rode this giant flying snake. Natsu defeated him, and it turned out that the snake was actually a girl under a curse. She didn't remember anything at all about her life. Her name's Kinana now, and she still lives in Clover as far as I know. She's really sweet."

"Huh," Gray said. "Neat. Erza never told me about that. Say, I have another question."

"Shoot."

"Why are you traveling with the Salamander?"

"Oh, um…" Lucy frowned, thinking it over, wondering how much she could reveal without giving him enough to deduce the truth. "Well, he's taking me to Acalypha. I…uh, got in with some bad people in Magnolia and I'm hoping to start fresh."

"Why Acalypha?"

"I've got a, uh, cousin who lives there."

"So this is like a job for him?"

Lucy shrugged. "I guess." _Is it?_ she wondered to herself. _Does Natsu just think of this as a job, or an obligation? Does he really want me traveling with him at all?_ She recalled what Happy said on the train, about how Natsu had hit a dead end in his search for Igneel and that he'd probably be depressed if Lucy wasn't distracting him. Was that all she was? A distraction?

"Well, why don't we get fishing?" Gray suggested, pushing himself from the banister to grab the supplies. "You're not skittish about earthworms, are you?"

"Define 'skittish.'"

He pulled out a pale filled with glistening worms of brown-pink, lethargically writhing around within the metal confines of the container. Lucy felt her face grow disgusted and horrified. "You mean we actually have to _touch_ them?"

"Yes," Gray chuckled. "And put them on the hook."

"_Alive_?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that seem…cruel to you?"

"They're just earthworms," Gray said, picking one out with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's not like they have real feelings."

Where had she heard that before? _It's not like they have real feelings_.

Karin.

Lucy watched the earthworm thrash around in Gray's fingers. Her eyes widened when he picked up a sharp, curved hook and made to impale the worm on it. "Now, all you've got to do is—"

"No!" Lucy snatched the hook out of his hand. She felt a sharp jab in the flesh of her palm, and dropped it with a hiss. There was now a nice slice in the middle of her hand.

"Lucy!" Gray said, bewildered. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"It's just…let's not fish, okay? I don't want to anymore."

"Well, not _now_," Gray agreed, taking her hand and inspecting the wound. "We've got to get this cleaned, or it will get infected. Luckily it's pretty shallow, and the hook didn't snag you. What's your deal?"

"I…I didn't want you to kill the worm like that," Lucy mumbled.

Gray sighed. "And here I thought girls wanted bugs dead. Oh, well, I'll take us back so we can get the doctor to look at that. It's starting to rain, anyway."

Lucy nodded silently, and pressed the towel that Gray gave her on her hand. It was starting to drizzle, a cold and malicious mist that was developing into fatter drops. It was already dampening her hair and clothes. Soon it would get very uncomfortable.

"Lucy, look out!"

Before Lucy could turn around, Gray had roughly shoved her down onto the deck. She cried out when she landed on her injured hand, sending deep needles of pain up her arm. Then she screamed when something heavy landed with a bodily thud next to her.

Slowly she sat up, cradling her hand. "Gray?"

A man, bigger and tanner and more muscular than the duke, groaned and stirred. He looked up and blinked his dark eyes. "Eh? Lucy? What're you doing here?"

"Elfman!" Lucy shrieked. "What happened?! Where's Gray?!"

"Where am I?" Elfman inquired, analyzing his surroundings with a blank stare.

"You're on Gray's boat!" Lucy said. "Wha—where did you come from?!"

"Oh…I think Natsu punched me too hard…"

"Natsu _punched_ you over here?!"

"I think so. We were dueling and he punched me. Next thing I know, I'm flying through the air and I landed here." Elfman frowned. "Wait, why are you on Gray's boat?"

Lucy blushed and evaded. "I think the better question is, where's Gray?"

"Obviously not on the boat with you."

"He _was_. He must have seen you and pushed me out of the way so you wouldn't land on me…that means he was in your way…" Lucy gasped and ran over to the side of the sailboat, studying the water. She didn't see anything. "Oh, no, Elfman! You knocked him overboard!"

"What?! Do you see him?!"

"No!"

"Then how can you tell?!"

"Well, do you _see_ him aboard?!"

Elfman cursed, gripping his hair. "What do we do?!"

"You've got go in there and save him!" Lucy cried. "He's obviously hurt, or else he'd be swimming, right?"

"Yeah, but…but I can't swim!" Elfman howled.

"What do you mean, you can't swim?!"

"Swimming isn't manly!"

"I can't swim either!"

"Oh, no! Curse us and our manly ways!" Elfman yelled.

"Did you just call me _manly_?!"

"What do we do?! We killed Gray Fullbuster!"

"Gray is _not_ dead!" Lucy snarled. She frantically searched for her keys. Could any of her Spirits swim? Cancer was a crab, wasn't he? Crabs could swim, right? Could Loke swim? No, cats hated water! Virgo! Virgo could probably swim!

Just as Lucy grasped Virgo's key and prepared to summon her, a person emerged from the surface of the water. "It's Gray!" Lucy said, pointing. "Elfman, pull him up!"

She steadied Elfman as he grabbed Gray by his underarms and hoisted him aboard. He was soaking wet and shivering, and had a nasty cut on his head that was gushing blood, but at least he was breathing.

"Can you steer this boat back?" Lucy asked Elfman as she tended to Gray's wound.

Elfman nodded and took the wheel, turning the boat around at a gut-wrenching angle. Lucy held the bloody towel to Gray's head, hoping that he didn't have a concussion. Blood soaked into the fabric of her skirt and dripped on her legs.

They made it to the docks within a few minutes. By then Gray was starting to stir, and people were gathering around to see what all the commotion was about. The duke opened his bleary eyes as they came to a painfully slow stop.

"Lu…Lucy?"

"I'm here," Lucy answered, biting her lip in concern. "Are you okay? Do you know what happened?"

"You…you saved me," Gray murmured, blinking in amazement as he took in her soaking-wet state. "I knocked you down, and you came in and saved me."

"Wha—no, I think you've—"

"I saw you," Gray continued, undeterred. "I saw your hands reach out for me, and you pulled me above. I felt them."

"That was Elfman," Lucy explained. "He pulled you out of the water. You managed to swim up yourself."

"No, no, you saved me and then Elfman...he pulled me aboard the boat. But in the water you saved me. They were a woman's hands," Gray insisted. He took Lucy's hands in his own, turning them with their palms up, exposing the gash on her right one. "There was blood everywhere."

"It was yours," Lucy said. "You cut your head."

"You saved me," Gray said one last time. He put his arms around her and pulled her down for a bone-crushing embrace. Then he was unconscious.

"Lucy!" Natsu pushed his way to the front of the crowd, Happy flying ahead like a blue guide. "Lucy, are you—?" He screeched to a stop when he saw them, eyes growing wide.

Lucy quickly tried to untangle herself, but Gray's grip was iron strong. Then next thing she knew the doctor was pushing Natsu out of the way and storming onto the boat. He separated them and efficiently examined Gray's head. "He doesn't seem to have a concussion, but this cut needs to be taken care of," he decided.

"Lucy's got a cut too," Elfman said.

"Oh, it's just a little one on my hand," Lucy said, trying to look over the tall doctor's shoulder. "Really, I just grabbed a fishhook the wrong way; it's not even that deep—"

"Let me see," the doctor said, taking her hand. He shook his head. "You should come too. Especially since it's on your hand and was caused by such a dirty object. It could get infected very easily."

"But—"

"It will only take a second," the doctor assured. "Sir Strauss, kindly carry Duke Fullbuster, will you? Madam, come with us."

Lucy surrendered, tears burning in her eyes. There was no point in arguing with the doctor now. Natsu was storming down the beach. He was already a tiny pink speck.

Levy glanced at Gajeel on the sidelines, worry coloring her features. "This did not go according to plan," she stated, huddling against the rain.

Gajeel observed Gray and Lucy, then turned to Levy. He put an arm around her. "I don't think this went according to anyone's plan, shorty."

He looked back at Natsu, but the Salamander was gone.


	75. Washed Up

**LXXV: Washed Up**

Lucy knocked on Natsu's door after she was all patched up, but he didn't answer—the first time. When she started banging on it with irritating consistency, Happy finally obliged her.

"He's upset right now, Lucy," he told her. "Just leave him alone."

"No, I'm going to talk to him," Lucy said stubbornly, although she was somewhat relieved that the cat seemed to regard her without hostility. Not that he should have. She hadn't done anything wrong.

Happy sighed and stepped back as she barged into Natsu's room, which was identical to her own. He was standing with his back to her, looking out the window. Before she could even get a word out, he spun around with an alarming grin on his face and said, "Hiya, Luce! Glad to see you're okay."

Lucy felt her jaw drop.

"...Are seriously going to pretend like nothing happened out there?!" she shrieked once she reclaimed her speech. "I let it go the last time, but this time—I mean, you ran off! I was _bleeding_, and you ran away!"

Natsu blinked. "What? You were hurt? I didn't know that…I thought—"

"Well, you thought wrong!" Lucy thrust her bandaged hand into his face. "I cut myself on a fishing hook. I got stitches."

"That's it?"

"That's not the point! With all that blood, it could have been more severe, but did you even care? No, you just ran away like a little girl—"

"I did not run away," Natsu argued. "I left because I figured I'd give you space to nurse that droopy-eyed Fullbuster back to health."

Once again, Lucy was speechless.

And, once again, it didn't last long.

"You left…because you were…jealous?" she said quietly.

"_Jealous_?" Natsu sputtered, aghast. "Of what? Fullbuster? No, I just don't like the guy, and I don't like that you were alone on a boat with him. I don't trust him. He's…sketchy."

"He is not _sketchy_."

"Lucy, he stripped in public," he deadpanned.

"You're just jealous that we went out on a date," Lucy chided, grinning.

"What?! You were actually on a date with that perverted, droopy-eyed duke?! What were you thinking?! He could've…could've—"

"What? Taken advantage of me?" Lucy suggested. "Look, Gray is in the clear. He's good friends with Erza and Elfman and a lot of other people we know. I even asked Levy and Gajeel before I went, and they told me that he was nothing if not respectful. So I decided to have a little fun, that's all."

Natsu frowned. "He didn't…I mean, you guys didn't…?"

"Um, no," Lucy said, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. "Elfman kind of fell from the sky before the date even really started. Actually, I sliced my hand before the date even really started. Apparently, I don't like fishing. Anyway, Elfman was going to fall right on top of me, so Gray pushed me out of the way and ended up falling off the boat. He hit his head. According to the doctor he has a little bit of a concussion."

"He pushed you out of the way?" Natsu repeated, blinking.

Lucy nodded. "I was going to visit him as soon as I was done talking to you. Want to come?"

She was asking more out of propriety's sake, but was relatively surprised when Natsu accepted her invitation. Probably because he wanted to make sure she wasn't alone with Gray again. Lucy smirked as they left his room and walked up to the infirmary. Stupid, jealous Dragonslayer.

There'd been quite a crowd gathered around the duke's bed when Lucy left, but the nurse had shooed everyone away by the time she came back with Natsu and Happy. The only ones left in the room were the nurse, who glared upon Lucy's entrance, and a young girl with twin pink pigtails who bore a striking resemblance to Sherry Blendy, Leon's vivacious fiancée.

"I'll tell you like I told everyone else, girlie," the nurse snarled, bustling over to them. "Duke Fullbuster isn't taking anymore visitors—"

"Then who's she?" Happy interrupted, pointing to the girl.

The nurse looked startled for a moment at the talking animal in front of her. Then she scowled. "That's not your business, now is it, cat?"

"There's no need to be rude, madam," the girl protested, sitting up and smiling sweetly at them. "I'm Lady Chelia Blendy of the White Mountains. It's very nice to meet you."

"Blendy? As in Sherry Blendy?"

"Yes. I'm her younger sister. I'm not visiting Duke Fullbuster, though; I'm treating him." She looked down with a slight frown. "Or trying to, at least. It's the first time I've ever tried my magic out on another person."

"And that's exactly why you three need to leave," the nurse continued, as though Chelia hadn't spoken. "So young Lady Blendy can work without interruptions."

"There's no need for that, nurse." Ultear glided in with steps as smooth and graceful as her voice, smiling benevolently at her foster brother. She balanced a round orb of crystal in her hand, rolling it across her palms and fingers. The nurse did a hasty curtsy, and even Chelia stood up from her chair. Ultear eyed the younger of the Blendy sisters and said, "Thank you, but I'll take it from here."

As they watched, Ultear placed the orb next to Gray on the bed and cupped each of his cheeks in her hands, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. A faint, hazy bubble formed around his head. Then it disappeared as abruptly as it came, and Ultear took a step back. "He should be fine," she declared, picking her orb up again. "He may have some relapse in memory, but it's likely insignificant."

"I didn't realize you were a healer," Chelia said in awe.

Ultear's sharp gaze flicked over to the young girl, and her scarlet mouth turned up into an amused smirk. "I'm not."

"Then how did you—?"

Gray interrupted Chelia, letting out a groan and stirring in his bed. Everyone but Ultear practically pounced on him, waiting for him to open his eyes. He blinked up at them groggily, his hand going to the bandage wrapped around his head. "Wha…what's going on?"

"You fell off the _Ice Queen_," Lucy began, but the nurse hushed her with a harsh glare.

"What do you remember, my lord?"

"I…I remember I was on the _Ice Queen_ with Lucy," Gray answered, frowning. "We were on a date."

At that, the nurse, Chelia, and Ultear gave Lucy curious little glances, while Natsu just frowned at them. Lucy blushed, uncomfortable with the attention, urging him to go on. "Then," he said, "I remember Elfman coming out of nowhere. He was getting ready to hit Lucy, so I pushed her out of the way and ended up falling off the boat. There was a really bad pain in my head—I must've hit it on something."

"Is that all you remember?"

"No," Gray said quietly, his eyes resting on Lucy. He tried to sit up suddenly, but the nurse and Chelia pressed him back into his pillow. "I remember you pulling me out of the water. Your hands. I saw them lift me out and pull me back aboard. You saved my life, Lucy."

"Um, well, I wouldn't say that," Lucy dismissed quickly. "I mean, it was my fault that you fell off in the first place, right?"

"No, the idiot who hurled Elfman halfway across the ocean is at fault." Gray looked directly at Natsu, not even bothering to disguise the accusation.

Natsu glowered. "I didn't realize that there was a boat out there. When I was fighting him, I chucked him that way so I _wouldn't_ hurt anyone."

"That backfired, didn't it?" Ultear piped up, cynical humor lacing her voice. She rolled the orb up her arm, across her shoulders, and down the other arm, catching the orb before it gathered too much momentum and shattered on the floor. "If it weren't for my brother, Miss Lucy may very well be dead."

"If it wasn't for _your brother_, Lucy wouldn't have been on the boat in the first place."

"Are you implying this is _my_ fault?!" Gray snapped.

"I'm not implying anything, droopy-eyes!"

"Why don't you come out and say it, then, flame-brain?!"

"Fine! You want me to say it?! I'll say it!" Natsu pointed a finger in Gray's snarling face. "I don't like you. You're a perverted brat, and I don't know what your intentions are with Lucy, but I don't want you anywhere near her."

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked, hauling him away from Gray by his scarf. "You don't have any right to say that! I don't belong to you, and you need to accept the fact that it was my decision to go on a date with Gray. He didn't coerce me to go on the boat with him. I _chose_ to go. I'm not questioning his motives, and you shouldn't either."

Natsu blinked at her, stunned. He seemed to gather himself a little bit. "Wait, that's not what I meant—"

"Just go," Lucy ordered, pointing at the door. "If you can't be civil, then you don't belong here."

Natsu looked like he was going to argue, but wilted under the scowl Lucy gave him. He slumped toward the door, and Happy silently followed, glancing between the two of them like a conflicted child. Lucy took a deep breath. Beneath the initial flare of anger, she only found disappointment. She thought that Natsu had come to terms with his dislike. Why would he come to the infirmary if he was only going to cause trouble?

"I'm sorry about that," she said, mostly directing it at Gray. "I shouldn't have invited him to come with me."

"It's not your fault," Chelia assured, patting her hand. "He seems a tad temperamental, that one. Are you ex-lovers?"

Lucy blushed at the personal question, especially considering the youth from whence it came. "No! N-no, nothing like that. We're just traveling together, that's all."

"A lady ought not to travel alone with a man, unless it be her husband," the nurse chastised, sparing Lucy a suspicious glance. "Can cause quite a scandal, and perhaps taint her eligibility later on."

Lucy bristled, but Gray swooped in to rescue her. "That's enough. Lucy is a virtuous maiden on a journey with extenuating circumstances. None of which, might I add, are the place of a servant to question."

The nurse's face blanched, and she curtseyed fervently. "I apologize, Miss Lucy, it was not my intention to offend you."

"Um, that's okay."

Gray sat up again, this time with more success. He swung his legs off of the bed, tried standing, sat back down, and stood again, although he was a bit wobbly. He used Lucy as a support until he got used to walking again. "I think I'm good," he announced, clicking his heels as a demonstration. He turned to Lucy, who was still hovering in case he needed someone to catch him. "Would you like to go on a walk on the beach?"

"I don't know if that's a great idea," Lucy said.

"No, no, it's a grand idea," Ultear disagreed, spinning the orb on her fingertips. "The more use Gray gets of his limbs, the faster he'll recover."

"But it's raining," Chelia observed, glancing out the window.

"The best walks are in the rain," said Gray, looking once more at Lucy. "What do you say?"

Lucy couldn't say no. Really. She couldn't.

"I'm sure she'd love to go with you," Ultear purred. The orb abruptly stopped spinning, though it still balanced impossibly on her fingertips.

Gray shot a glare at his sister, but Lucy was reluctantly nodding when he turned around to look at her again. He grinned and offered his arm, which Lucy took for the second time that day, and they headed out of the infirmary, three pairs of eyes watching their every step.

Gray meandered passageways that twisted and turned covertly but were relatively uninhabited. An awkward silence hovered around them until they reached the back door. Gray opened it and they were sprayed with a mist of cold rain. Lucy's nose wrinkled with distaste, but Gray didn't even seem to notice it as he pulled her out of the shelter. Within seconds they were soaked. Gray led her down to the beach, which was as breathtaking as always, the waves churning and broiling ominously. The startling blues and greens of the water were subdued into solemn slate grays and foamy whites by the thunderstorm.

Lucy jerked when she felt Gray's fingers curl around her hand. She blinked water out of her eyes so she could see his face, which looked earnestly into her own. Her gut clenched.

"I know it was you," he said, yelling slightly over the roar of the waves and the pitter patter of rain. "I know you came in to save me. I saw your hands in the water. You took me and you pulled me out. You came in after me."

"Gray, that wasn't—" Lucy tried to say, but a particularly engorged wave surged onto the beach, cutting her words off as it nearly knocked her down. Water swirled around her legs and crashed around them, chilling her to the bone. Gray caught her before she could topple into the sand, mistook her response for passion, and pulled her close. She was too stunned to wiggle away.

"I just wanted to tell you that I've been thinking about you and about what Ultear's been saying, and I—"

Lucy gasped. She pointed at something behind him, eyes wide. "Oh my – Gray, is that a person?!"

He whipped around and saw the pale body splayed on the sand only a few yards away. Alarmed, he released Lucy and rushed over to the unconscious girl, who, upon closer inspection, was completely naked and covered in a thin sheen of loose, glittering fish scales. Gray dropped down beside her and brushed the blue hair away from her face and neck, pressing his fingers on her skin to get a pulse. She was freezing, but he felt a thump.

"Lucy, go back to the infirmary and get the nurse!" he demanded, quickly stripping off his shirt—which was miraculously still there—to return the girl's decency. He slipped it over her shoulders and carefully hoisted her into his arms. She was completely limp, but he could see her eyes frantically moving behind her eyelids. She was still alive. For now.

He followed the path Lucy made with her footprints until he reached the castle. Lucy was leading the nurse down the corridor, frantically explaining what happened. They stopped when they saw Gray, expressions a mixture of shock and stony concern. Chelia caught up with them and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Well, what are you all standing there oggling at me for?" said Gray, bulldozing his way through them and down the corridor. "This girl needs medical attention. Let's go."

"Right, yes, my lord," the nurse quipped. "Lady Blendy, if you'd be so kind to run ahead and prepare a bed for the girl? Miss Lucy, do you have clothes to spare? If not, do ask around and see if some other ladies have something they could donate."

The girls nodded and went off to do their respective tasks. Gray relayed the story once again to the nurse until they arrived at the infirmary. He set the mysterious girl down on a cot and moved back so Chelia and the nurse could work.

"Who is that?" Ultear asked, blinking with rare geninue curiousity at the new arrival.

"I've no idea. She just washed up on the shore," Gray answered. He glared at the orb as she levatated it around his head like an orbiting moon. "You know I hate that stupid toy. Get it out of my face."

"I thought you liked seeing your pretty reflection? If not, how about a fairer one?" Lucy's image appeared in the crystal for a moment. Gray narrowed his eyes at Ultear, who only smiled brilliantly in response. "I see you took my advice."

"I did no such thing," Gray denied, abruptly turning his attention to the girl. "My decision to take Lucy out on a date had nothing to do with your nagging. You don't even know if she's really who you say she is, anyway."

"I'm telling you, brother, she _is_ Lucy Heartphilia. Either that or she's a clone of the late Queen Layla Heartphilia. And do you really think it's a coincidence that her Dragonslayer is taking her to Acalypha? What is in Acalypha but the Heartphilia Konzern, and the former King Jude Heartphilia?"

"Even if she is the Lost Princess, it makes no difference to me," Gray said. "I do like Lucy, but for who she is, not her dowry."

"You're not seeing the big picture, brother," Ultear sighed. The orb sailed back into her hands. "Money is of no concern to you or me. It is what else the Rapunzel has to offer that is important."

"What the hell are you going on about now?"

"Just think about it. I can't give you all the answers," Ultear said, her eyes landing on Lucy as she came into the infirmary with clothes cradled in her arms. "Do continue to pursue Miss Lucy, though, if only for the entertainment factor. Dealing with the marriage arrangements can get quite dreary."

"You're disgusting," Gray told her. Ultear laughed and left the infirmary. Evidently the fate of the strange beached girl was of little consequence to her.

"My lord, I'll kindly ask you to avert your eyes," the nurse said, snapping Gray out of his reverie. "We're going to wash and dress the girl now."

Gray blinked and felt his face heat up. He'd seen the girl's body already, but that had been in a moment of panic. It was different in the confines of the infirmary, when there was no reason for him to see it. "Is she stable?"

"Yes, sire."

"Ah, okay, then I'll just go while you tend to her. I'd better let everyone know I'm okay anyway. Come find me when she wakes up."

"Yes, sire."

"Lucy?" The blonde glanced up from pouring warm water into a bin. "I'll see you later?"

"Oh, um, sure," she said with a tentative smile. Then she went back to helping Chelia with the water. Gray studied her for a moment before he took his leave, comparing her features with the images he'd seen of Queen Heartphilia. They were awfully similar.

He shook his head to clear it. Ultear was getting inside his mind, and that was never a good thing.


	76. From The Beginning

**Author's Note:**_ This chapter was so hard to write! It's not the best, but I promise the next one will be better. Also...I lied. I said that this was going to be based on the pre-S-class exams, but I just couldn't resist adding a few of the new characters. I think everyone's pretty much caught up on that anyway, so...I renounce that. But all characters are the same age they were in the seven years before._

_Also, someone pointed out to me that Ultear can't use her magic on people. I've found a way to fix that in this chapter, but in case it's still not completely accurate...I use the good old writer's creative liberties excuse. By the way...over 800 reviews, people! You're amazing!_

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><p><strong>LXXVI: From The Beginning<strong>

"She's still not awake," Lucy sighed when Gray came in to the infirmary for the third time. After he'd left the day before, she and Chelia had washed away the loose, flaky scales and grime that covered the washed-up girl and dressed her in a blue frock that Lisanna sacrificed. She had remained unconscious all the while. Gray visited periodically throughout the day to see if she'd awakened; after all, it was important to know who she was and what happened to her, considering she'd washed up on his shore.

Gray plopped into a chair next to Lucy, who watched the girl sleep with her chin resting glumly in her hands. Lucy had been by the girl's side since the first time Gray checked in. The girl was interesting to look at, sure, with her pretty face, pale skin, and thick blue hair, but even the most appreciative of men couldn't sit and watch her for that long. "I see. If so, then why are you still here?"

"There's nothing for me to do," Lucy said. "The wedding is at a standstill until this rain stops."

"You could socialize. You know at least half of the people in attendance, if not more."

Lucy turned to look at him, her face miserable. "Fine, if you're going to dig. Natsu is ignoring me. That's why I'm in here."

"Why do you care if that Dragonslayer's ignoring you? He doesn't deserve your attention anyway."

"You can think what you want about Natsu, but he's still my friend," Lucy snapped grumpily. "In all the time I've known him, he's gotten mad at me, he's yelled and said some mean things, but he's never, ever, ever just _ignored_ me. I was too harsh to him yesterday. I stood knocking on his door for a good hour this morning, but not even Happy would answer it."

"How were you too harsh to him?" Gray countered. "All you were trying to do was stick up for me. I don't see how that's a bad thing."

"I didn't even give him a chance to speak. I kept interrupting him," Lucy said. "And no offense, Gray, but you do egg him on. I probably didn't _need_ to step in and defend you."

"He's just jealous of us," Gray reasoned. He shrugged. "I can't really say I blame him."

"I believed that yesterday, but now I think he's actually mad at me," Lucy grumbled. "I don't know how to handle that. Natsu doesn't get mad at _me_. He'll get mad at things I do, or something that happens to me, or someone who tries to hurt me, but he's never angry at me as a person."

"He'll get over it," Gray said.

"When? I must have apologized a billion times, but it's been four hours and he still hasn't tried to find me. And Natsu isn't patient."

"Just give him time," Gray shrugged. "Trust me. He won't be able to hold a grudge, not against you." It killed him to say it, but Gray knew it was true. He could see plainly that the Salamander cared for Lucy; in fact, too much for his liking.

Lucy didn't respond. They sat in silence for a while, listening to the music of the rain on the roof of the castle. It wasn't a heavy storm, but it was a steady, ongoing assault that showed no signs of stopping or slowing down.

Just then, the strange woman on the cot stirred in her sleep. Gray leaned forward eagerly, but Lucy dismissed it. "She's been doing that off and on for a while now."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the girl let out a small groan and her eyes fluttered open. They were dark orbs, the color of a night sky with no moon. They wandered around the room until they finally rested on Lucy's face, settled on Gray's. Her eyes widened and her pale skin erupted into impossible shades of red.

"Are you okay?" Gray asked, standing. He knelt down beside her bed so he could get down to her level. "Can you understand me?"

The girl nodded her head vigorously.

"Good. I'm Gray Fullbuster, Duke of Hargeon Town, and this is my friend Lucy. Right now you're in the infirmary. We found you washed up on the beach yesterday and brought you here. I'm going to go get the nurse so she can look at you and make sure you're healthy, okay?"

"I'll get her," Lucy offered. Gray nodded to her and she padded away. He turned back to the strange girl, whose eyes were fixated on his face with strange attentiveness. He fidgeted uncomfortably under her blank scrutiny.

"So," he said in an attempt to break the silence, "what's your name?"

The girl blinked at him, swallowed hard, and said, "Juvia Lockster." Her voice was hoarse as a consequence of almost drowning, and she had an accent that Gray couldn't identify. Her name was entirely unfamiliar, so it was unlikely she was from around Hargeon.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Lockster."

"Please, sir, it's Juvia."

"Okay, then. Juvia. You can call me Gray, if you want."

Juvia's face turned an even brighter shade of red, if that was possible. Gray wondered if she had a fever or something, but he was afraid of breaking propriety by touching her to take her temperature. He had no idea where she was from, or what her status was, or anything of the sort, and wanted to avoid a scandal.

Juvia frowned suddenly and reached up to his face, her fingertips brushing the bandage wrapped around his head. Well, never mind propriety. Obviously she wasn't over-concerned with it, which was probably a good thing. Those prim and proper belles at court annoyed the hell out of him. "Duke Gray is hurt," she murmured.

"This?" Gray said, touching the tender spot on his forehead where the gash hid behind the clean white bandage. "It's no big deal. Just hit my head is all."

Lucy returned with the nurse just then, who robustly fretted over poor Juvia with her usual maternal gusto. The girl seemed rather frightened at first, but quickly complied with the nurse's poking and prodding. Gray removed himself from the premises to give the nurse room to work.

"Did you find out anything?" Lucy inquired, watching as the nurse helped Juvia sit up and wiggle her fingers.

"Only that her name is Juvia Lockster. Recognize it?"

"Not at all."

"I don't think she's from here, anyway," Gray speculated. "She has a weird accent. I'll get Fried to come down here and talk to her later. Maybe he's heard of her."

"Do you think she's nobility?"

"No, she was too…polite. But she speaks too formally to be a commoner. Maybe she's a governess or something."

"I don't see how you can deduce all this and only just learned her name," Lucy remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"How do you think I got to be the youngest duke in Fiore, Miss Lucy? My dashing good looks?"

Lucy snorted unattractively. "Even if that was the case, it won't be for long. Chelia said that cut on your forehead is going to leave a scar."

"Eh, it only makes me look cooler," Gray said, wincing as he prodded the cut with his finger. "I'll have to thank her for healing me, even if she couldn't do it all the way."

Lucy blinked. "She didn't. Your sister did."

"What?"

"Ultear. She healed you with her magic."

"_What_? You let her near my head?!"

"W-well, she's your sister! What else was I supposed to do?!" Lucy cried. "Chelia didn't know what to do, and the nurse was at a loss too! Ultear came in and all of a sudden you were awake!"

"You don't understand," Gray snapped. "Ultear doesn't have healing magic. She didn't heal my cut at all; damn it, that explains why it's still there and not a scar already."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"Ultear didn't heal my physical body," Gray explained. "The cut is the same as it was before. Ultear's magic is strange. She has the ability to age things, or make things younger; basically to manipulate time. But it doesn't work on people. They're too complex for her to change."

"Then how…?"

"I don't know what she did," Gray said darkly. "But she sure as hell didn't heal me."

Lucy shuddered. "I'm sorry, Gray. If I'd known…"

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault. I'll talk to her about it later." He turned to look at Juvia, who was now standing up and touching her toes for the nurse. "Right now I need to find out what I can about this Lockster woman and sort her out. Then I'll worry about Ultear."

"Right," Lucy agreed. Ultear couldn't have possibly done anything too terrible to her own foster brother, could she?

The nurse finished her examination and proclaimed that the girl was perfectly healthy. "A little clumsy, but she might just have sea legs," she diagnosed.

Juvia stood by the bed, staring down at her feet with amazement while she wiggled her toes. She lifted up one leg and rolled her ankle around, gaping at it. She stood on her tip-toes, jumping up and down and nearly falling as a result.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Gray asked the nurse.

"Healthy as a horse. A little catawampus in more ways than one, but healthy just the same."

Gray shared an uncertain look with Lucy, but went to go talk to the strange newcomer despite his skepticism. Juvia froze when she caught his eye and quickly stopped fooling around, folding her hands behind her back and blushing as she looked down at the ground.

"So, Juvia, we're just going to ask you a few questions," Gray assured, gesturing for her to sit down on the bed. She did so, placing her hands in her lap. "First of all, can you tell us what happened to you?"

"Juvia does not want to alarm Duke Gray, but she cannot tell him the truth about where she came from," the woman said frankly. Gray wondered why she was speaking in third person, but decided to save that line of questioning for later.

"Why not?"

"Because she promised someone that she wouldn't say anything. If she breaks that promise, Juvia will be in danger."

Gray scowled. "There's no need for you to be afraid, Juvia. We'll protect you from whoever's threatening you."

"Really?" Juvia's face obtained a rosy glow. "Oh, Duke Gray is so chivalrous! But no, this person isn't threatening Juvia. In fact, this person made it possible for Juvia to come here."

"You wanted to come here?" Lucy inquired.

"Oh, yes, very much. Juvia does not like it where she's from, and when she told this person that she wanted to leave, she arranged it so that Juvia could."

"Can you tell us this woman's name?" Gray asked.

"No, she told Juvia not to."

"Fine, then what _can_ you tell us?"

Juvia looked dismayed. "Duke Gray is not happy with Juvia."

"Well, you're not exactly being helpful."

"What Gray means to say," Lucy interjected as Juvia drooped, "is that we just want to help you, and we can't do that if we don't know anything about you."

"Juvia can't tell Duke Gray anything about her past, except that it's behind her," Juvia said with renewed confidence, squaring her shoulders stubbornly. "Juvia wants to move forward here in Hargeon Town. She wants to start anew, and she would greatly appreciate it if Duke Gray gave her that opportunity."

Gray considered Juvia Lockster for a moment, narrowing his eyes. Then he shrugged and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Why not? Seems like you've been through a lot, so I might as well throw you a bone. You can stay, and we won't pester you."

Juvia squealed and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Duke Gray! You won't regret it, Juvia promises you!"

"Wha – get off!" Gray tried to untangle himself, but Juvia was too excited to listen to him. Gray's face turned beet red with embarrassment. Lucy hid her chortling laughter behind her hand.

Eventually Gray managed to slither out from Juvia's grasp, panting and red to his toes. He cleared his throat when he noticed Lucy's wide grin, dusting himself off with dignity. "You can bunk with Lucy while you're here," he dictated. "She'll show you the ropes, introduce you to everybody." He turned and stormed away, mumbling under his breath as he stripped off his shirt. It fell to the ground, and he left it there, not even noticing its absence.

Juvia sighed wistfully. "He's so dreamy, isn't he, Miss Lucy?"

"I guess so," Lucy shrugged.

"Is Miss Lucy in love with Duke Gray?" Juvia inquired, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the innocent blonde.

"Uh, no," Lucy answered.

"Good. Juvia does not want Miss Lucy to be her rival."

Lucy didn't really know how to respond to that. She was beginning to question whether or not she should be worried about sleeping in the same room with this woman. Juvia Lockster seemed like she was more than a little off her rocker.

Then again, who was she to judge?

"Just call me Lucy," she said, offering a hand. "I'll show you around, and then we'll go get you some clothes. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good to Juvia!"

Juvia trailed behind Lucy like a small child, looking around the castle with wonder. When they emerged from the winding corridors that lead to the infirmary, Juvia gasped. "Juvia's never seen anything like this before," she whispered, blinking at all the people gathered in the ballroom.

"This is Exhibitionist Castle," Lucy explained. "Gray lives here."

"Do all of these people?"

"No, they're here for a wedding. Do you want to meet and greet?"

"Yes!"

Lucy introduced Juvia to everyone she knew after giving her some background knowledge on all of them. "That's Fried Justine, the King of Fiore. He lives in Magnolia with his wife, Mirajane, who's obviously the Queen. Mirajane's brother, Elfman Strauss over there, is getting married to Fried's advisor, Evergreen. Bixlow, Fried's right hand, is engaged to Mirajane's younger sister, Lisanna. Weird, huh?

"That's Makarov Dreyar, the Duke of Magnolia. He's very powerful, but pretty perverted. That girl next to him is Erza Scarlet. She works for him. And next to Erza is Jellal Fernandes, Duke of Clover. They're a thing, but they haven't been engaged yet. Oh, and next to Jellal is Goldmine, Duke of Quatro Cerberos. He and Makarov are good friends.

"See that man over there? That's Lord Leon Vastia of the Isvan Mountains. He's Gray's foster brother. And the woman next to him is Lady Sherry Blendy, his betrothed. Her sister, Chelia, helped heal you and Gray. The man talking to them is Gildarts. He's the Duke of Onibus.

"Oh, her? That's my friend Levy McGarden. She's a really successful scholar and a mage. That man next to her is Gajeel Redfox. He's a Iron Dragonslayer, isn't that neat? What's a Dragonslayer? Well, they're kind of a police force for dragons…or at least they _were_. Now all the dragons have gone missing, so there's nothing for them to police. My best friend – "

Lucy stopped her rapid briefing. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Natsu all day. Was he still holed up in his room, seething at her? Or was he wandering around the castle somewhere, looking for her? Avoiding her?

"Lucy?" Juvia waved a hand in front of her face with concern. "Is Lucy okay?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm fine. What was I saying?"

"Lucy was saying something to Juvia about her best friend."

"Right. Well, he's a Dragonslayer too, like Gajeel. Only he's a Fire Dragonslayer, not Iron. His name's Natsu Dragneel, and he has a flying blue cat that talks, Happy."

"Juvia has many questions," said the perplexed woman. "What is a cat? And what is a dragon?"

"You've never seen a cat before? Never even heard of one?" Lucy questioned.

Juvia shook her head. "Will Lucy show her a cat?"

"I…can try," Lucy said, biting her lip. "Natsu and I aren't exactly on speaking terms right now, though, and Happy isn't on my side."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story." Lucy was suddenly very tired. "You've met a lot of people today. Why don't we just go see our room, hm?"

She led Juvia down the secluded corridor to the dormitories where all the last-minute arrivals for the wedding were staying. Many other guests had appeared, including Jet, Droy, and a few others. There were so many that people were forced to bunk. Poor Happy had been evicted and lived with Natsu once again. The door to their room was still closed.

Much to her surprise, Gray had already had someone bring in another mattress to accommodate Juvia. It was crammed into the limited space, but there was still enough room to walk around.

"This is for Juvia to sleep on?" Juvia asked, pointing to the spare mattress. Lucy nodded in confirmation, and watched as she hopped onto the bed and squirmed around in the blankets. "This is fabulous!" she declared delightfully. "What is this called, Lucy?"

"Um, a bed? Blankets? Pillows?"

"Wonderful," Juvia sighed, rolling over and burrowing her face in the soft fabrics. "Juvia likes these very much."

"They don't have beds were you're from?"

"Not like these."

It was clear Juvia was too absorbed in the bed to say anything else, so Lucy shrugged and sat on her own bed. "Well, it's getting pretty late, and this rain doesn't show signs of stopping. What do you say we hang out in here until dinner? Hopefully the rain will be gone by tomorrow and we can take you shopping."

"The rain won't stop," Juvia said ominously, reluctantly sitting up.

Lucy cocked her head to the side. Something about the certainty in Juvia's words alarmed her. "What do you mean? It has to stop eventually."

"The rain won't stop as long as Juvia is here. The rain will follow Juvia until…" the woman paused, her mouth open mid-sentence. She closed it and eyed Lucy, considering something.

"I know Gray said that we wouldn't pry," Lucy began, "and I won't, but if there's something serious going on here…I need you to tell me, Juvia. It's important."

"Juvia likes Lucy very much. In fact, Juvia wishes to say that Lucy is her friend."

"I'd like to be friends too."

"Juvia is glad. Now that she knows Lucy is her friend, she can be sincere. She will tell Lucy her story. Maybe Lucy can even help her," Juvia said.

"Of course, I'll do anything I can to help you," Lucy assured, her curiosity peaking.

"There is one thing Lucy must understand," Juvia warned. "Juvia's story is very hard to believe. And even if Lucy does not believe Juvia and does not wish to help her, she cannot tell Duke Gray or anyone else what she's learned. It will ruin Juvia."

Lucy thought about it. "As long as it doesn't put anyone in danger, I'll keep your secret," she compromised.

"Juvia will accept that," the woman said solemnly. She took a deep, steadying breath. "Now, pay close attention. It is a long story, and Juvia is going to tell it from the beginning…"


	77. Under The Sea

_**Author's Note:** I apologize in advance for the wait and the length. And I hate to say it, but there might be a bit more of a gap between chapters. I've got something going on every day now in addition to homework...ew, right? I'll do my best to make it worth the wait, though. :) Also, I realized that I forgot to confirm what story this was! You all guessed right; it's the Little Mermaid._

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><p><strong>LXXVII: Under The Sea<strong>

"Juvia asks that Lucy keeps an open mind. Like she said, her story is very hard to believe. But Juvia thinks that Lucy can do this.

"Where to start…Juvia supposes she should tell Lucy about where she's from. Juvia grew up in a city called Atlantis. Lucy's never heard of it? It doesn't surprise Juvia. Atlantis is not on any of Lucy's maps. Atlantis is not in – what did Duke Gray call this land? – Fiore. Atlantis is not on land at all. It's in the ocean.

"Ah, Juvia can already see that Lucy is starting to doubt her. But Lucy must believe Juvia. There is a city in the sea, and it is called Atlantis, and that is where Juvia grew up. Humans cannot live in Atlantis. Juvia is not human, or at least she was not until recently.

"Atlantis is beautiful, Lucy. Really, it is. The buildings there are very different from your own. The entire city is carved out of coral reefs, and old sunken ships, and much more. Anything the people who live there can find, they put it to use and make it beautiful.

"Juvia's people are different from Lucy's people. They don't have these two tails – or legs, is that right? They don't have feet or toes. Their upper bodies are the same, but their bottom half is different. They have tails instead, with thick scales of all different colors, and they use these tails to swim around instead of walking everywhere. We're called merpeople.

"Juvia is royalty. Her father is the King of Atlantis. King Lock. That is where Juvia gets her last name from; in Atlantis, the children add 'ster' to their father's name out of respect. Juvia is the youngest of two sisters and one brother.

"The other children in Atlantis were never nice to Juvia, and her siblings are much older than she is, so they never played with her. People in Atlantis actually think that Juvia is possessed. They are a very religious community. They worship the Dancing White Lady. Lucy's people call her the Moon.

"It's a common pastime for daring adolescents to swim up to the surface of the water at night – it is the sky of Atlantis, Lucy – and poke their head into the world above. Most who do come down writhing in terror, talking hysterically about how the Lady reprimands them. Everyone who tries to see the world above only try it once.

"Except Juvia. She had a much different experience when she tried it. She had begged some children to let her go with them, and they finally let her. The Lady was dancing above us, as usual. They told Juvia to go first, and Juvia wanted to prove herself to them, so she did.

"Juvia remembers the experience vividly. She broke the surface of the water and gasped for breath, but her gills weren't working – yes, Lucy, the merpeople have gills – and the water around her was light. She was cold. And terrified.

"For you see, Lucy, the Lady was not dancing anymore. She had gone completely still, like a great glowing pearl. She watched Juvia as if waiting for her to make her next move. Juvia didn't know what to do. It was absolutely bewildering.

"Then, she saw something out of the corner of her eye and tore her gaze from the Lady. It was a boy of about her age, with black hair. He was walking on the land, kicking sand as he did, hands in his pockets. He looked very sad. And he was nothing like Juvia had ever seen before. He had two tails, strange fins, no gills…I'm sure Lucy has guessed by now that Juvia saw Duke Gray that night. It was the first time she'd ever seen a human, and she was utterly intrigued. Infatuated. Juvia fell in love with Duke Gray in that very moment. She knew that she would not be happy with anyone else.

"When she looked back up at the Lady, Juvia was filled with an overwhelming sense of joy. She realized now that her perception from the water was wrong. It was the world above that was real, that was true. Juvia belonged there. That was what the Lady was trying to tell her.

"The other girls weren't waiting for Juvia when she dove back under before Duke Gray saw her. She learned later that was their plan all along, to abandon her. But Juvia didn't care. All she cared about now was Duke Gray, and how to get to him.

"She started going up to the surface more and more often to see him. Sometimes she did, sometimes she was unlucky. Other merpeople caught her many times and took her to King Lock, who chastised her harshly. He is the religious leader as well as the actual leader, and it looked bad for him to have a blasphemous daughter. He knew that if my expeditions continued, he would not be able to marry me off. This, of course, only fueled Juvia's desire to do so. She was not going to marry anyone if she could not have Duke Gray.

"Finally, one day Juvia was caught by a priest, who convinced her father that she was possessed by an advocate of some evil spirit. So King Lock took her to an enchantress to perform an exorcism.

"But the enchantress didn't do that. When Juvia told her about Duke Gray, she understood. In fact, she said that she knew much about the surface dwellers, and that she could help Juvia's dream come true. So for the next few months Juvia learned everything she could about humans, mainly their language and customs. Then, the enchantress said it was time.

"'I know a spell that will make you human until the next full moon,' she said. 'But there are consequences. Rain will follow you everywhere when you are on land until you achieve your goal; that is, to make your man fall in love with you. You also won't have the ability to communicate with sea creatures or move water telepathically. If you fail your mission before the next full moon, then you will turn into sea foam and be gone forever.'

"Juvia understood the risks, but she couldn't continue to live a lie. So she agreed, and the enchantress changed her into a human. When it was done, she had the tides carry Juvia to the shore.

"And that's it. That's Juvia's story," the former mermaid said. "What does Lucy think?"

Lucy gaped at the girl sitting calmly in front of her, a girl who seemed so normal at a glance. The moon shone through the little window of their room so that Juvia was just a colorless silhouette against a silver backdrop. Lucy filled in the blank spaces with her imagination, painting the gentle waves of her hair a lovely blue, sketching in the beautiful, serene face, the creamy skin. When she got to the shape of Juvia's legs, she imagined a tail with a glittering rainbow of scales instead of legs and feet.

And was surprised at how natural it seemed.

After all, if she could believe in dragons, why not mermaids? They were no more or less preposterous. If hordes of dragons could conceal themselves so thoroughly from humanity that people disregarded their existence, then surely a city could hide in the vast ocean. Besides, Lucy knew what it was like to be a legend that no one believed in anymore.

"Well," she said when she was able to speak again, "quite frankly, Juvia, I think you're absolutely insane."

Juvia slouched. "Yes, Juvia figured Lucy would not believe her."

"Oh, no, I believe you," Lucy said. "I think you're insane because you've pinned your life on the chance that you can make a complete stranger fall in love with you in a matter of weeks! Juvia, do you know how foolish that is? What if you hadn't ended up in Hargeon, hm? Or what if Gray and I hadn't found you? What if it had been someone else, and you weren't even able to get to Gray before the next full moon? You would have become sea foam!"

"That's why Juvia needs Lucy's help!" Juvia decreed, leaping from her bed to grab Lucy's hands. "Juvia needs Lucy to help her win Duke Gray's heart before the next full moon, so she doesn't disappear. Please, please, will Lucy help Juvia?"

"Of course I'm going to help you," Lucy said. Juvia squealed with joy, throwing her arms around the blonde.

"Thank you, thank you, Lucy! Juvia does not know how to repay you!"

"Juvia, you're choking me!" Lucy gasped, trying to pry Juvia's vice-like arms from her neck. The mermaid released her, smiling from ear to ear. Lucy couldn't help but smile back. "There is one thing, though. That friend I mentioned earlier, the Dragonslayer…I can't keep a secret like this from him. But I think he might be able to help, if you're willing to let him."

"Of course, as long as Sir Dragonslayer does not reveal Juvia's secret to Duke Gray," Juvia warned. "If Duke Gray knows of it before he kisses Juvia, then she will turn back into a mermaid forever and will never have a chance for true happiness again."

"I promise, we'll do our best to get Gray to fall in love with you," Lucy said. "You're not going back into that ocean if we can help it."

"There is one thing Juvia forgot to mention…" Juvia bit her lip guiltily. "Her father and siblings know nothing of the spell, so if they go to visit Juvia in the enchantress's cave, then they will come looking for her."

"Well, how often do they visit you?"

"Very inconsistently. They are very busy, but they are also very powerful."

"We'll just have to do this as quickly as possible, then," Lucy said. "It will probably take some time, though. You said you had until the next full moon? So about a month?"

"Father will be visiting Juvia before then," Juvia admitted. "Oh, and Juvia's skin cannot touch the ocean, or she will turn back into a mermaid."

"So let me get this straight. If we tell Gray, you turn back into a mermaid. If you go into the ocean, you turn back into a mermaid. If you don't get Gray to fall in love with you before the next full moon, you turn into sea foam, but we probably don't have that much time because your father will be visiting you and when he finds out that you're missing he'll most likely come looking for you."

Juvia nodded.

"And if you do get Gray to kiss you before any of the above happens, then you get to stay human forever?" Lucy guessed.

"Yes, and the rain will stop," Juvia added, looking out the window at the steady precipitation.

Lucy sighed. "Sounds like a piece of cake."

"Cake?" Juvia inquired.

"Just ask Erza what it is. She'll tell you."

There was a knock on the door. Juvia perked up dramatically, practically flying out of bed. "Perhaps that's Duke Gray coming for a forbidden midnight rendezvous with Juvia…!" She wrenched the door open, heedless of Lucy's protests, and slumped in disappointment when it revealed a man with pink hair and a blue cat.

Natsu blinked at her. "Oh. Uh, sorry, I must have the wrong room."

"Natsu!" Lucy hopped out of her bed as quickly as Juvia. "You're here! Look, I'm really sorry about what I did; I know it wasn't fair that I didn't give you a chance to speak—"

"Don't worry about it, Luce," Natsu sighed. "I got mad and blew it out of proportion. I was actually going to see Gray so that I could thank him for pushing you out of the way and probably saving your life, but he just…gets under my skin."

"You…you were going to make amends with him because of me?" Lucy repeated, touched.

Natsu snorted. "I didn't say _that_. I just said I was gonna thank him, that's all. It's what any decent person would do."

Lucy raised her eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Hey, aren't you the girl that Gray and Lucy found washed up on the beach?" Happy interjected, pointing to Juvia.

"Oh, um, this is Juvia Lockster," Lucy introduced. "She's bunking with me since there's no more room in the castle. Juvia, this is Natsu Dragneel and Happy, the people I was telling you about."

"Juvia is pleased to meet you," said Juvia, holding out a hand.

"Um…nice to meet you too," Natsu replied, shaking it. Happy did the same, seeming pleased that she didn't overlook him entirely as people had a tendency to do.

"Natsu, Juvia was just telling me her story," Lucy began. "And she needs our help."

For the next hour Juvia repeated her story to Natsu and Happy, who were just as speechless as Lucy by the time it was over with.

"You're in love with that droopy-eyed freak?!" he finally exclaimed in disbelief, bursting out into loud fits of guffaws. Lucy scowled and Juvia's face became an unhealthy shade of red.

"Don't you dare insult Duke Gray like that in front of Juvia!" she shrieked, taking a pillow from the bed and smacking him with it until he stopped laughing. "Her love for Duke Gray is as pure and clean as the rain that falls from the sky, as the reflections of the Lady on the water! Sir Natsu will not laugh at her!"

"Pure? Hate to break it to you, but he's kind of a pervert," Happy said.

"That's not true," Lucy objected. "He's got a condition when he…um…strips whenever he's stressed. Erza says they're working on it."

"Miss Erza?" Juvia gasped. "Miss Erza is working on stripping Duke Gray? Is she trying to get Duke Gray to fall in love with her too? Is she Juvia's rival?!"

"No, no, you don't have to worry about Erza," Lucy assured. "She's got Jellal. Besides, she's not helping Gray strip; she's helping him _not_ to strip."

"Wow, you're really serious about this," Natsu observed. "I guess Happy and I will help you too. There's no reason for you to go turning into sea foam or anything. Besides, maybe if we help you the pervert will keep his filthy hands off of Lucy."

Lucy shot him a dangerous look, but Juvia had already caught his remark before he could take it back. "What?!" she screeched, standing up. "Duke Gray is in love with Lucy?! How can this be? Lucy is Juvia's friend!"

"He's not in love with me," Lucy said. "Natsu's just a jealous idiot."

"I'm not jealous!" Natsu snapped.

"How can Juvia be sure?!" The former mermaid froze, a sudden horrific epiphany coming to her. "Lucy, what were you doing alone with Duke Gray on a boat that day when he was hurt?"

"We…well we were…" Lucy bit her tongue, knowing how incriminating the answer would sound out loud.

"You were romancing him, weren't you?!" Juvia sobbed. "Lucy is after Duke Gray! That is the real reason she is 'helping' Juvia; to make sure that Juvia gets nowhere with Duke Gray! Don't you humans have a saying? 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'? Juvia should have known Lucy was up to no good from the start!"

"Wait, Juvia, it's really not like that—"

"Juvia doesn't care! Lucy has betrayed her!" Juvia took a deep, steadying breath. "From this moment on, Miss Lucy, we are no longer friends! We are rivals in love!"

"I don't want to be your rival!" Lucy cried, exasperated. "I'm not in love with Gray! I really do want to help you, Juvia, I promise! Please, just let me help you. I don't want you to disappear or be unhappy."

"It's true, Juvia," Natsu vouched, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If Lucy says something, she means it. And I want to help you too."

Juvia blinked alligator tears out of her eyes, which flicked back and forth between the two of them. Then her eyebrows shot up. "Oh, Juvia understands now," she said, smacking her forehead. "How could she have been so clueless? Lucy is not in love with Duke Gray because she is already in love with Sir Natsu!"

The two people in question turned identical shades of scarlet.

"_What_—?"

"_Me_, in love with _him_? Juvia, that's—"

"I mean, come on, _Lucy_—?"

"We're just—"

"Nothing more than—"

"Juvia sees that they are still in the denial stages, yes?" the mermaid whispered to Happy as the other two continued to sputter.

"Aye," the cat confirmed. He considered her for a moment. "So, Juvia, before you became a human, you were pretty much a giant fish, right?"

"Of course not! Comparing merpeople to fish is like comparing a rock to…ugh, what do you call those things…fountains! Yes, fountains."

"You mean mountains?"

"Oh, yes, those tall things? Yes. Comparing Juvia to a fish is like comparing a rock to a mountain."

"But you had a fish tail?"

"Yes, Juvia supposes so. Why?"

Happy licked his paw and smoothed back the fur on the top of his head. "Well, you know, if this thing with Gray doesn't work out, I'm always available."

Juvia blinked. It was her turn to be speechless.


	78. Step One

_**Author's Note:** So, people responded very well to Happy coming on to Juvia. There will probably be a lot more Happy in this and upcoming tales; he's the most underrated and overlooked in Fairy Tail fanfiction, even though he often plays a vital role in the manga. Even I'm guilty of it, and he's one of my favorites. Poor Happy._

_And again, I apologize for the wait...and the length...and the fillerness..._

_Man, I suck._

* * *

><p><strong>LXXVIII: Step One<strong>

The next morning was gray and gloomy, with a steady pitter-patter of cool winter rain. Some of it even came down as sleet. When Lucy and Juvia arrived at the dining hall for breakfast, they found that Evergreen was absolutely beside herself.

"All I wanted was a warm, beach-side wedding!" she wailed, looking hopelessly out at the terrible weather. "Now we have to wait for the rain, and on top of that it's going to be freezing! The wedding is ruined!"

"Ever, you're overreacting," Elfman said.

The bride-to-be looked ready to tear his head off, so Mirajane intervened before her younger brother went from being the groom to being the victim of a swift and violent homicide. "What Elfman meant to say, Evergreen, is that this will all pass over soon. After the rain stops, it will warm up again, and we'll have your wedding. Until then, we can all work on perfecting the tiniest details. Isn't that right, everyone?"

The crowd gave a unanimous groan, but somehow Evergreen interpreted it as enthusiasm and resumed being her bossy, overbearing self. Elfman dragged a hand across his face as he watched her flutter about the room, hustling people along. "Why did I propose, again?"

"You didn't," Lisanna giggled. "Evergreen did."

"Why did I agree?"

Bixlow clapped a hand on his shoulder, a serious expression on his face. "Because only a real man would sacrifice himself for the greater good of all mankind. We commend you."

"Sacrifice! Sacrifice!" his babies chirped.

"And don't forget that you love her," Mirajane pointed out.

"Yeah," Bixlow said, shrugging. "That too."

"Don't worry," Fried piped up. "After the wedding, things will go much more smoothly. I remember planning for our wedding—" He stopped talking when Mirajane quirked an eyebrow at him.

"What about our wedding, Fried?"

"Um, nothing."

"Uh-oh," Lucy chuckled, coming to Fried's aid. "Do I sense some marital strife?"

The king looked relieved to see her. "Oh, Lucy! And…Juvia, yes? Good morning. Where's Natsu and Happy?"

"Sleeping, I bet," she said. "I was going to take Juvia shopping."

"Did my dress fit you okay?" Lisanna asked the newcomer.

"Oh, yes, Juvia appreciates Lady Lisanna lending her clothing," said Juvia. "Juvia just wishes to have clothing of her own, that is all."

"Sounds fun," Lisanna said. "And you can just call me Lisanna if you want, Juvia. Do you mind if I tag along? I still need to find shoes to go with my dress for the wedding."

"Fine with me," Lucy said.

"Juvia would be honored."

"Great! I'll meet you guys by the front gates in about ten minutes." Lisanna ran off to get her things, departing with a kiss for Bixlow.

"Mira, do you want to come too?" Lucy asked.

"I would, but I think someone needs to stay and supervise," Mira said. "Otherwise Elfman might not make it through the day alive."

"We can handle that, Mirajane," Fried offered.

"Yeah, we got this all under control," Bixlow assured, shooting her a tongue-lolling grin. "We've been keepin' Evergreen in check for years."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go have fun," Fried insisted, kissing her cheek. "You've been under a lot of stress lately. You deserve some time off, and so does Lisanna. We'll take it from here."

"Okay!" Mirajane quipped happily. She also agreed to meet the two of them in ten minutes, and left to retrieve her purse and some umbrellas. Lucy and Juvia ate a quick breakfast with Bixlow, Gajeel, and Levy (who politely declined Lucy's invitation to shop, seeing as she was doing some research with an oceanographer while in Hargeon). As they meandered through the crowd to meet Mirajane and Lisanna at the gate, Lucy noticed that Juvia had been unusually quiet over the duration of the meal.

"Hey, are you feeling alright?" she inquired.

"Yes, Juvia is fine…it's just…she feels as though she is ruining Lady Evergreen's and Lord Elfman's wedding," she sniffed. "If it weren't for this rain, they would be happy."

"Oh, it's no big deal," Lucy laughed. "Evergreen is hardly ever happy. It's not your fault. Besides, if the wedding wasn't postponed, then it would be harder for me to help you win Gray's heart. I'd have to find an excuse to stay."

"Still, Juvia feels that she is inconveniencing everyone."

"You're not. Like I said, don't worry about it."

"Juvia appreciates Lucy worrying about her," the former mermaid said with a small smile once they arrived at the gate. "And for helping her."

"My pleasure."

The Strauss sisters arrived with umbrellas, and the four women walked to the market in the rain, skipping over puddles and admiring the seashells as they crossed the streets. Mirajane gently prodded Juvia for information about her origins, but ceased when it became clear that Juvia wouldn't say anything. Lucy had suggested she fabricate an amnesia story the night before, which she flawlessly performed after much rehearsal.

"All Juvia remembers is washing up on the beach, and Duke Gray lifting her up in his strong arms," she said dreamily. "He thoughtfully covered her up with his shirt and carried her to the infirmary. After that Juvia only remembers flashes, such as Lucy or Duke Gray waiting by her side."

Mirajane and Lisanna exchanged a conspiratorial glance.

"Sounds like someone's got the hots for Gray," Lisanna teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

Juvia's face turned an impressive shade of red. "Is it that obvious?!"

Lucy facepalmed.

"Please don't tell Duke Gray!" Juvia begged. She even got down on her knees in the middle of the pavement, much to Lisanna's surprise. "It will put Juvia in grave danger—"

"—of humiliation!" Lucy cut in, grabbing Juvia's hand and hoisting her off of the wet concrete with a warning look. She didn't like keeping secrets from Lisanna or Mirajane, but the less people who knew about the mermaid's situation, the less likely it would be for Gray to find out. Juvia realized her slip and nodded, looking at the ground.

"Oh, Juvia, we wouldn't tell anyone," Lisanna comforted. "Sorry, we were just teasing you."

"But," Mirajane added, "I do think that you and Gray would make an adorable couple!"

"Queen Mirajane really thinks so?" Juvia said hopefully.

Mira nodded. "In fact, I think we should give you a makeover! A whole new look that will knock Gray off of his feet!"

"Yeah, he won't be able to keep his hands off you by the time we're done," Lisanna promised.

"Oh!" Juvia's face turned bright pink, her mind flooded with intimate images of her and Gray. "Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you! All of you!"

Lucy grinned, glad for the extra support. "Alright! Let's get started!"

Mirajane, who knew Hargeon the best since she had visited during her honeymoon, led the way to the trendiest shops in town. And the most expensive. Lucy frowned, and thought of the meager supply of jewels she'd brought along to pay for Juvia's clothes. Looking at the prices, she knew she wouldn't be able to purchase a shirt for the girl, much less an entire wardrobe.

While Lisanna helped Juvia pick some things out, Mirajane drifted over to where Lucy was looking. "What's the matter, Lucy?" she asked. "You seem concerned."

"I really appreciate this, but…Mira, I can't afford any of this," Lucy confided. "And Juvia doesn't have any money."

"You don't really think you're going to pay for this, do you?" Mirajane gasped. "Lucy, this is my treat. Think of it as a thank you for everything you've done for me. Pick out anything you like."

"I can't—"

"Look, I know you're short on money because Natsu couldn't do any shows in Shirotsume," Mira deadpanned. "Let me do this for you, Lucy, please. You've done so much for me and for Fiore. You deserve a reward."

Lucy surrendered. "Okay. Thanks, Mirajane."

They shopped for the entire day, picking things out for Juvia and urging her to try them on. In the end she got five outfits, every one of them accessorized and elegant. Mirajane paid for every one of them, for which Juvia expressed her gratitude profusely. She was over the moon with glee.

Lucy got an outfit for the wedding, a light summer dress of pale sage. Lisanna and Mirajane were both bridesmaids, so their dresses were more extravagant; that is to say, covered with bows and frills in a variety of greens. "Evergreen picked them out," Lisanna said, modeling the catastrophe of a dress at the tailor's for Lucy and Juvia.

"It's not so bad," Lucy lied.

Lisanna rolled her eyes and sighed into the mirror, running her hands over the gauche layers of silk. "You should see Evergreen's dress. It's even more over the top, but it suits her. She looks amazing in it. It's going to knock Elf-nii off his feet on their wedding day."

Mirajane stepped out of the dressing room and stepped onto the platform. "I think it needs to be taken out," she said to the tailor. "I can't get it zipped up."

"Oh, my apologies, Your Highness," the tailor said graciously. "I must have gotten the measurements wrong. I'll fix it right away, free of charge."

"That's quite alright. I've gained a few pounds, that's all," Mirajane laughed.

"…Mira," Lisanna said once the tailor walked away to get some supplies. "Is there something we should know?"

Mirajane blushed. "Well, we were going to wait until after the wedding to announce it, but I suppose we don't know when that will be, so…I'm pregnant!"

Lisanna squealed and embraced her sister. Lucy and Juvia laughed and joined in, expressing their congratulations. "You have to promise not to tell anyone, though," Mira warned. "I promised Fried that we'd wait until after the wedding to say anything."

Simultaneously, the three girls pantomimed zipping their lips shut. They retreated once the tailor arrived again to fit Mirajane's dress. "Can you believe this? I'm going to be an aunt!" Lisanna murmured, grinning from ear to ear.

"Juvia is so happy! Children are blessed miracles. The Lady smiles down on all of us," Juvia said. Lisanna, who was beside herself with joy, just gave the strange woman a crushing hug.

Lucy smiled and shook her head. How often did mermaids have children, anyway? How long did they live for? She'd have to ask Juvia later. She watched as Mirajane and the tailor chatted while the tailor fixed her dress. Even in the horrendous costume, Mira looked beautiful. Lucy wondered if her mother had possessed that same poise and elegance as a queen. She wondered if the baby growing in Mira's tummy was a boy or a girl. Or maybe both.

After finishing at the tailor's, they went back to Exhibitionist Castle. There was still a steady drizzle, but it seemed lighter and warmer than before. They talked about baby names on the way there.

"If it's a boy, we're naming him Haru Makarov," Mirajane said. "And if it's a girl, we're naming her Layla Li."

Lucy felt her heart skip a beat. She looked at Mira, who caught her eye and smiled warmly. Lucy's eyes began to water, but she quickly brushed the tears away. "Those are lovely names," she said.

"I thought so," Mira replied gently.

Exhibitionist Castle was bustling as always when they arrived. Juvia and Lucy went to their room to put their new clothes away, parting from the Strauss sisters after returning the umbrellas. "Knock him dead, Juvia," said Lisanna with a wink, causing Juvia to blush ferociously.

Natsu met them in the corridor outside their rooms, pacing feverishly back and forth. He stopped when he saw them. "There you are! We were wondering how long you'd be gone for."

"Were you waiting out here all day?" Lucy asked, a bit disturbed.

"Well, there's nothing else to do," Natsu complained. "I can't do a show because it's raining, and I can't brawl with anybody because it's raining. I was getting on Evergreen's nerves so Bixlow and Fried dragged me down here and told me not to leave until you got back."

"Juvia is sorry," the cursed mermaid mumbled.

"It's not your fault. Just all this rain – oh."

Lucy rolled her eyes at Natsu's tactlessness and opened the door to the room. "Don't mind him, Juvia, he's just an idiot," she said, silencing Natsu's protests with a glare. "Now, we've got to find a way to get you and Gray together. We've only got a few weeks, so this is going to take some serious planning. Luckily we have Mirajane on our side, which is always a bonus, even if she doesn't know everything. She's magic when it comes to matchmaking."

"She is?" Juvia said hopefully.

"Well, yeah. You don't honestly think Elfman and Bixlow won the hearts of Evergreen and Lisanna without a little help, do you?"

"I…I suppose not."

"Besides, you've also got me on your side," she continued, puffing out her chest proudly. "In fact, I made sure that Mirajane and Fried could meet at Fried's birthday ball. I got Levy and Gajeel together. I could also take credit for Erza and Jellal if I wanted to."

"No, you didn't," Natsu frowned. "Taking Mira to the ball was my idea, and we didn't know she'd even meet Fried there. Levy and Gajeel got together on their own. And Erza and Jellal were in love way before we ever even met them."

"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Lucy huffed. "Anyway, this should be cake if we play it right. I mean, everyone's already paired up, right? According to Fried, Gray is feeling the pressure of being single among all these couples. All you have to do is swoop in and make him happy."

"Right," said Juvia, taking mental notes.

"We're going to make you so sexy and irresistible, Gray won't know what to do," Lucy declared. "Let's begin. Step one: make sure that you're always looking your best." She selected a key from her keyring and took a deep breath. "Open, the Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!"

There was a flash of light, and suddenly a fabulous crab-man was standing in front of them, scissors in his pinchers. Happy and Natsu giggled, as they usually did when presented with Cancer, but Juvia gasped, her eyes wide. "Another merperson!" she shrieked.

"Um, no, not exactly," Lucy said. "This is Cancer. He's a Celestial Spirit. He's…part of my magic, I'd guess you could say. I'm a Celestial Spirit mage, so I can summon these Spirits"—she jingled her keys—"and they help me out."

"What can I do for you today, ebi?" Cancer asked Lucy. "Another hair style for the wedding?"

"For the – how did you know about the wedding?!"

"Leo."

"How did – oh, never mind," Lucy huffed.

"Why does Sir Cancer call Lucy 'ebi'?" Juvia whispered to Natsu, who replied with a shrug.

"Cancer, I need to you to fix Juvia's hair," Lucy said, pushing the blunette in front of her. "She has to look absolutely amazing."

"As you wish, ebi," Cancer said, clicking his scissors ominously at Juvia.

"Juvia is not so sure this is a good idea…" she said apprehensively.

"Don't worry," Lucy assured. "Cancer is the best hair stylist in the universe. Literally."

And with that, Cancer pounced on Juvia, who shrieked as tresses of blue fell at her feet. The spectators watched the process in amazement, until finally he revealed the mermaid's new hairdo with a grandiose gesture. "_Violá_," he proclaimed.

Juvia's long blue waves were now smoothed down and only reached her shoulders, where it curled with incredible uniformity. Lucy nodded, pursing her lips. "Very good, Cancer. Thank you."

"My pleasure, ebi," the crab said. Then he disappeared.

Juvia tried to go to the mirror, but Lucy stopped her. "Nah-ah-ah," she chastised with a slightly evil grin. "Not until we finish. Now, let's see you in…this outfit!" She chose a navy blue dress and shawl lined with white furry trim, complete with a matching Cossack hat and black boots. Juvia obediently dressed behind a curtain.

She stepped out, biting her lip. "How does Juvia look?"

"Great!" Lucy said. Natsu nodded in affirmation, although he hadn't seen anything wrong with the way Juvia looked before. Lucy probably had a better idea of what girly things looked good and what didn't, though, so he just went along with it. "Gray's going to love you."

Juvia beamed.

"Now, let's commence with Step Two: getting him to notice you," Lucy continued. "You've got several excuses for talking to him, so that shouldn't be a problem. All you've got to do is find him."

"Juvia can do that!"

"Let's go, then. Natsu, are you coming?"

The Dragonslayer snorted. "I've got better things to do than stalk Gray."

"Like what?" Juvia said in earnest.

"Like setting Levy's books on fire. Or stealing Erza's cake. Or cuddling with Gajeel," Natsu listed off sarcastically. "Take your pick."

"But why would Sir Natsu want to do any of those things?"

"Exactly."

"Come on, Juvia," Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "Natsu's just being an idiot again."

"Hey!"

Happy chuckled as Lucy closed the door in Natsu's face. "We should go with them, Natsu," he suggested. "It's not like we can do anything else while it's raining, anyway. Isn't it in our best interest to make sure the rain stops as quickly as possible?"

"You just want to go because Juvia used to be a mermaid," Natsu accused. "No offense, Happy, but I don't think she's into cats. Not even flying, talking ones. And besides, even if she was, it's not like you could kiss her to break the spell. You don't have lips."

"Aye, well," Happy muttered to himself, "with the way you're going, you won't be kissing anybody anytime soon either."

"D'you say something?"

"Who, me? Nope, nothing at all."


	79. Step Two

_**Author's Note:** I have a few things to discuss with you guys today. The first order of business: I don't know if it's just me, but I fell like Gray's character in this arc is...off. I don't know, I can't really explain it. Do you guys think so? And if you do, could you tell me how I might fix that?_

_The second order of business: So if you've kept up with Fairy Tail and have read chapter 327, you might be as mind-blown as I am. But there's a part of me that is panicking, like major, in need of a panic-room panicking. Because although there hasn't been any announcements or anything that I know of, I think that after this deal with the Grand Magic Games is over, the series is going to end. And that, quite frankly, makes me want to cry. I'll die a little bit inside._

_Okay. Rant over. Let's commence._

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><p><strong>LXXIX: Step Two<strong>

"Juvia cannot do it."

"You can! I believe in you."

"No, no she cannot. She is too shy and delicate."

Lucy sighed, exhausted. She and Juvia had followed Gray around for the majority of the day, undetected, waiting for the perfect moment for Juvia to ask him out. Several opportunities arose, but unfortunately Juvia was much too shy and delicate to take advantage of them. Or so she said.

"Look," Lucy said, placing a hand on either of Juvia's shoulders, "do you want to live this life or not? Do you want to marry Gray and live happily ever after?"

"Yes, very much!"

"Then you need to do something about it. Otherwise you can just go ahead and hop back into the ocean, because at this point that's how it's going to pan out. We don't have _time_ for you to be shy and delicate."

Juvia gulped and nodded. "A-alright, Juvia will do it."

"Good." Lucy spun her around and pushed her toward the occupied duke. Juvia took a deep breath and sashayed toward him like Lucy had shown her. Once she looked back with a nervous smile, and got a thumbs-up in return. She stopped right behind Gray, who hadn't noticed her silent approach. For never having walked on two feet before, Juvia had feline dexterity.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Gray turned around at that moment and leapt back with a startled shriek. "Wha – oh, it's you. Sorry, you surprised me," he said once he recovered. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"Juvia apologizes," said the girl, bowing deeply. "She won't do it anymore."

Gray nodded and took her in. "Well, you look like you're enjoying yourself. Do you find Hargeon to your liking?"

"Yes, Duke Gray! Juvia likes it here very much! In fact, she would like to live here for the rest of her life!"

"Wow, that's…hasty," Gray said. "You've only been here for a day. Usually it takes people longer than that to warm up to the place, especially considering all this rain we've got."

"Does Duke Gray mind the rain very much?" Juvia asked, concerned.

"It's not the biggest thorn in my side right now," he replied irately. "I'm used to freak storms. I just wish it would stop so all these people in my home would go away."

"Oh," Juvia said, drooping. "Juvia is sorry to hear that."

"Not you so much," Gray quickly amended, having misinterpreted her dismay. "It's not really any person in particular that annoys me. I actually like most of these people. It's just that it's all of them at once, you know? It gets pretty taxing after a while."

"So you like having Juvia here?" she said hopefully.

"Sure. At least you're not asking me to decorate anything or trashing my house. You know Evergreen asked me to make her an ice sculpture as a wedding present? She had the nerve to ask for a _wedding present_ when I'm giving her my entire castle!"

"Oh. Um." Juvia was about to say something, but found her tongue frozen when Gray began to strip off his shirt.

"I swear," he continued, undeterred, "by the time this wedding is over, I'm just going to have to buy a new one." The temperature of Juvia's face had reached somewhere between steaming and sweltering as she raked her eyes over Gray's body. He glanced over at her when she failed to respond to anything he was saying and frowned. "Hey, are you okay?"

Juvia nodded, letting out a little squeak. She pointed to his torso, and he looked down and cursed, hurriedly trying to locate his discarded shirt. "Sorry," he said again as he pulled it back on. "It's a condition I'm working on. You should've been here a few nights ago, I did it in front of Lucy and Natsu flipped out, like he's the freaking guardian of her innocence or something. Speaking of which, have you seen Lucy around? I was going to ask her to get lunch with me."

Juvia let out another squeak as something inside of her shattered into a billion pieces. Her face was frozen into a look of disbelief, but her eyes filled with water that dripped down her cheeks. Tears. They were called tears.

Gray panicked. "I mean, you can come too if you want! I'm not excluding you or anything, I just wanted to – "

"Really?!" Juvia said, perking up. "Juvia can come too?"

"Um…sure."

"Juvia will go tell Lucy!" she said, skipping away toward the blonde, leaving a bewildered Gray in the middle of the crowd. She found Lucy peering from behind the door, close enough to see but not to hear the conversation.

"So, what happened?!" Lucy demanded, seeing the joy on Juvia's face. "What'd he say?"

"Duke Gray wants to take Juvia and Lucy out to lunch!" Juvia squealed.

"That's good," Lucy said, grinning. "This is the perfect opportunity to get you two alone together."

"But…but it will be the three of us at lunch. How – ?"

"Don't worry about it," Lucy dismissed. "Just stay here. When I get back we'll tell Gray that you were looking for me, okay?"

"Um, alright, but Juvia still doesn't understand – "

"You don't have to. Just stay here for now." Lucy turned and disappeared down the corridor. Juvia blinked after her. Then she turned toward the door and peaked out from behind it, watching Gray until Lucy returned about fifteen minutes later.

"Alright," the blonde said, linking their arms together. "Let's begin with step two: go get you a date."

They went to a small bistro next to the castle, walking through the pleasantly warm drizzle with their umbrellas. Lucy was very careful to keep Juvia between her and Gray, so it would be difficult to exclude her from the conversation, even if she wasn't talking. Inside the bistro was quiet and cool. Gray ordered them three sandwiches and three beverages before sitting across from them in the booth – another strategic move on Lucy's part, so that way Gray wouldn't choose to sit beside her instead of Juvia.

They made conversation about the weather and the wedding until their food arrived. Juvia was fascinated with the sandwich, blinking at it and prodding it with her finger. Gray raised his eyebrows. "Do you want something else to eat, Juvia?"

"Oh, no, it's just…Juvia has never seen food like this before," Juvia admitted, blushing.

Lucy and Gray both balked at her. "What?!" the latter exclaimed. "Never had a sandwich? What did you eat where you're from?"

"Fish," Juvia said dryly. "Lots and lots of fish."

"This has fish in it," Gray said. "Go ahead, try it. You'll like it."

"You pick it up and eat it like this," Lucy helpfully demonstrated, taking a big bite.

Juvia mimicked Lucy's movements. Her eyes grew wide as she chewed, and she nodded vigorously. "This is very good!" she declared, taking another chomp. Her two companions were laughing at her enthusiasm when Natsu burst in, looking wildly around the bistro until he spotted them.

"Lucy!" he cried, racing toward their table. "Lucy, it's barely raining outside! C'mon, help me and Happy do a show!"

"Yeah, okay," Lucy said, hopping up out of the booth. She turned to Juvia and Gray, who were both befuddled. "Sorry I have to cut this short, but we _really_ need the money. Go on and finish eating without me, and I'll see you two later!" As she followed Natsu out of the bistro, she shot Juvia a sly wink. The former mermaid gaped after the diabolical blonde, thoroughly impressed.

Then she turned around and realized that she and Gray were alone. Together.

Gray seemed to realize the same thing at the same time. "Well, that was sudden," he said, scowling bitterly in what would be Natsu's direction. "I guess it's just the two of us."

"Y-yes," Juvia yipped. "It is, isn't it?"

There were several tense moments of awkward silence as they ate their sandwiches, fishing for something to say. It was harder to do without Lucy as a bridge.

"So," Gray tried, "how's the 'amnesia' coming along?"

Juvia nearly choked on her sandwich, so startled was she by the accusation. She looked up to see if Gray was angry, but he was only giving her a smirk that made her insides melt. "Don't worry," he reassured. "I won't tell anyone. I was just curious about why you lied to Mira in the first place."

"It is easier to tell people that Juvia cannot remember than to tell them that she just can't say anything," Juvia explained guiltily. "Not everyone will be as understanding as Duke Gray. Juvia feels horrid for lying to Queen Mirajane and Lady Lisanna."

"It's not a big deal. You're right, that's a very practical way of looking at it. Some people are pretty nosy, and they'd probably pester you until you told them something," Gray said. "I'm not going to fault you for lying, especially since you can't tell the truth anyway."

"Thank you, Duke Gray. That means a lot to Juvia."

"You know, you can just call me Gray."

Juvia somehow managed to look overjoyed and horrified at the same time. "Oh, no, Juvia could never do that! She is honored that Duke Gray thinks so highly of her, but she wishes to remain respectful to Duke Gray. Unless it bothers him?"

"No, it doesn't bother me," Gray said, chuckling. "You're so polite. Is everyone like that where you're from?"

"Sadly, they're not. Juvia is not practiced with comfortable slang because she did not have many friends as a child. Her etiquette teacher was also very strict."

"That's…sad. Why didn't you have friends?"

"Other children did not like Juvia. She was different."

Gray scowled. "Hmph. Stupid kids. Their loss."

Juvia blinked at him, her heart soaring. Had he just given her a compliment? She watched him lean his chin on his fist as he stared at the street out the window thoughtfully. Then she looked down and saw that he had finished eating, and she had not touched her food since Lucy left. She picked up her sandwich took anothe huge bite. Gray snapped out of his reverie and made to ask her more questions, only to discover her cheeks puffed out with food. They blinked at each other, Gray in shock and Juvia in mortification.

Gray covered his laughter with his hand, and Juvia blushed as she quickly chewed and swallowed. She wasn't blushing from embarrassment.

"You don't have to stuff your face," he assured. "I'm not in any rush to get back."

Juvia thought she might grow wings and start flying, next. She sent a silent message of gratitude to Lucy and to the Dancing White Lady for her fortune.

"So," he continued, "does everyone talk in third person like you do where you're from?"

Juvia considered the answer. "Juvia can only tell you that her people speak a different language, and that this is simply how she learned to speak yours. She cannot tell you anything more."

"A different language, huh?" Gray said, raising his eyebrows. "That's pretty neat. Can you say something to me in it?"

"No, Juvia is sorry. It might give away too much."

Gray sighed. "It was worth a shot, anyway."

"Is…is Duke Gray only here so that he can ask Juvia questions?" the woman implored, a hurt undertone entering her accented voice.

"No, I'm just curious," said Gray. "You can ask me something if you want, too."

"Really?"

"Sure. Just ask."

Juvia thought about it. "How did Duke Gray become a duke?"

Gray's eyes seemed to sink a little bit. "Out of all the questions, you asked that one."

"Uh, oh, um, Duke Gray doesn't have to answer if he is uncomfortable with it…Juvia will ask another!"

"No, it's fine." He sighed. "My foster-mother, Ur, and I traveled down here a couple of years ago to defeat a demon that was terrorizing the coast. Deliora. We started fighting him when we got to Hargeon. The former duke and Ur both died. I got beat up pretty bad, but the citizens only saw me standing over the defeated monster and insisted that I be duke. I'd always planned to compete with Leon and Ultear for lordship over the Isvan Mountains – Ur held power at the time – but looking around at the destruction around me, I couldn't say no to them. Ultear probably should have got control over the Mountains since she's Ur's only blood relative, but she decided that she didn't want to be tethered to the responsibilities like Ur was. I think she was scared of ending up the same way. So Leon became a lord, and I became a duke."

Juvia sat quietly in the booth after Gray was done with his story. She wiped at something in her eye, and Gray politely ignored it. "…Juvia apologizes for making Gray tell that story."

"You didn't make me do anything. You just asked. Besides, I don't really mind talking about it. I feel like if I stop talking about her, Ur might stop existing, you know? Leon's the same way. I think that's why we get so frustrated with Ultear sometimes. She goes around pretending like her mother never existed. She refuses to even say her name."

"That's horrible," Juvia remarked.

"She's horrible," Gray said with a hint of wry amusement. He pushed his plate away and stood up. "Well, enough of that. Are you ready to go?"

Juvia was not ready to go. She wanted to stay and continue talking to Gray, but her plate was empty. She had no other excuse. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_, she thought to herself. _Juvia ran him off with that question!_

The rain was a bit colder and a little heavier when they stepped outside. Gray carried Lucy's abandoned umbrella, swinging it around in circles. "I hope they're not still out here in this trying to do a show," he said, looking up at the cloudy sky. "They'll all catch colds."

"Sir Natsu's fire couldn't light in this weather," Juvia said. She doubted if they even did a pyrotechnic show at all.

"You're right." Gray rubbed his bandaged forehead suddenly, wincing as he massaged the place where his cut was.

"What's wrong?" Juvia asked.

"Nothing really, just this stupid bump on my head. It's been giving me headaches."

Juvia approached what she knew was a safe topic. "How did you get the bump on your head?"

"I fell out of my boat. Or rather, I was pushed out," Gray deadpanned. "Natsu and Elfman were dueling on the beach and Natsu threw Elfman out into the ocean. I'd been sailing with Lucy and Elfman knocked me off. I must have hit my head on the side or something. I was unconscious when I landed in the water, so I couldn't swim. But I remember vaguely waking up and trying. I saw…something. I don't know. It pulled me out of the water and back onto the boat."

"What?"

"I saw…hands. They reached out and grabbed me from the water. They were a woman's hands. She saved my life, and I'll never be able to do enough to repay her."

Juvia watched the look in Gray's eyes as he spoke, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She'd seen that look. It was what crossed over her face in the mirror when she thought about him.

He was in love.

Better yet, he was in love with _her_.

She remembered quite vividly that moment only a few days ago. She watched him bob on the water with Lucy aboard, watched him gallantly shove her aside as Elfman hurtled toward them, watched him fall into the water. She remembered blindly swimming over to the boat, and reaching out her hands for him as he sank into the blue depths of the sea. The jolting moment when she touched him for the first time as she carried him to the surface. The resolve in her chest as they took him away from her, back up into the air where he needed to stay to survive.

"Juvia!"

She gasped as Gray's arms went around her, pulling her out from the road as a cart full of watermelons rattled by. Her umbrella flew from her grasp and landed in front of it just as it passed, crushing it into the cobblestones. Gasping for breath, heart pounding, she looked up at Gray, who was still clutching her close to him. He'd dropped Lucy's umbrella when he'd grabbed her, but the other was still in his hand, sheltering them from the rain.

"What were you thinking?!" he snapped, scowling down at her. "You need to pay more attention, or you're gonna get run over!"

Juvia nodded mutely, eyes wide, body quivering with shock, fear, and desire. Then she went limp in his arms, almost collapsing onto the street. "Juvia! Dammit, Juvia, what the hell?!" Gray shook her gently. "Wake up, c'mon!" He sighed in defeat. She'd probably fainted from the shock. He should've been more concerned, but there was a goofy smile on her face that disarmed any trace of worry.

Grumbling, he awkwardly hoisted her into his arms and carried her all the way to the castle, leaving her umbrella broken on the pavement.


	80. A Tiny Raindrop

_**Author's Note:** Thank you guys for all the suggestions on how to improve Gray's character! They were really helpful, and I think he's a little better now. Tell me what you guys think. Additionally, I'd like to thank those of you who assured me that Mashima said there's going to be at least another two or three arcs left in the Fairy Tail series - you don't know how much comfort that brings me. Bottom line: you guys rock! :D _

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><p><strong>LXXX: A Tiny Raindrop<strong>

"You're all wet!"

Gray spared Lucy a look, because out of all the things she could have said about the situation, she chose the least remarkable and the most apparent. Even Natsu afforded her a glance of reproof.

"Way to state the obvious, Luce," the Dragonslayer said.

Lucy grew belligerent under their scrutiny. "I'm just saying! What happened? What did you do to poor Juvia?!"

"Me?! I didn't do anything!" Gray said, startled at the accusation. He wormed his way into Lucy's chambers and laid the unconscious woman on the bed, ushering Natsu and Happy out of the way. The four of them stared down at her for a moment. She looked silly, her blue hair damp and curling, hat askew, loopy grin on her face.

"You had to have done something," Natsu insisted, leering at Gray. "It's not like she just collapsed like that."

"She did!" Gray exclaimed. "We were walking back, and I guess she was thinking about something, because she walked right in front of a carriage in the road. I pulled her out of the way in time, and she went into shock and…well, here we are."

Happy sat on the pillow next to Juvia, poking her cheek with his paw. "What's wrong with her face?"

"Beats me," Gray shrugged. "Like I said, must be the shock. Shock can make people do some pretty weird stuff."

"Not that she needs any help with that," Natsu muttered to himself.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't say anything. She turned back to Juvia with a little sigh. "Well, we can't just leave her all wet like this. I better get her dried off. You three"—she pointed to Natsu, Gray, and Happy in turn—"get out."

"But I'm a cat! Let me stay, Lucy!"

"Out, you pervert!"

She shoved all three of them out the door and slammed it in their faces, leaving them awkwardly staring at nothing but solid wood. "Well," Happy huffed after a pause, "it was worth a shot."

It earned him a glare from Gray. "Lucy's right. You are a pervert."

"Coming from the guy who strips in public," Natsu said.

"I told you, it's a condition! I'm working on it!"

"Besides," said Happy, "it's not like you weren't thinking it too."

Gray froze, abruptly jostled out of his impending argument with Natsu by the cat's words. He felt his face heat up as he remembered the first day he'd seen Juvia washed up on the beach.

Happy and Natsu caught on and grinned deviously at each other.

"Oh, that's right," the cat said. "He's _already_ seen her naked."

"He got an eyeful."

"He didn't need to ask."

"He's probably remembering it right now."

"Shut up!" Gray shouted, his cool demeanor cracking as their words enticed more inappropriate thoughts to the surface. "It wasn't like that!"

"Suuure it wasn't," Happy cooed.

"There he goes, stripping again," Natsu pointed out. "Pervert."

"What the – dammit!" Gray snatched his damp shirt off the ground and sneezed at the sudden draft on his bare skin. He pointed a finger at them challengingly. "This doesn't prove anything. I told you, it's a condition!"

"A perverted condition," Natsu said. He silenced any further protests by nudging Gray forward. "Go get changed before you catch pneumonia or something. We can't have you keeling over right before Evergreen's wedding. She'll take it out on the rest of us."

Gray blinked at him. Was the Salamander being…thoughtful?

He quickly dismissed the notion – you needed a _brain_ to be thoughtful – and pulled on his wet shirt. "Hey," he said, "why aren't you wet? Didn't you interrupt my lunch with Lucy so you could do a show while the rain stopped?"

"What? Oh, um…w-well, we were going to, but…uh, it started raining again," Natsu explained, nodding vigorously. "Yeah. Raining."

"Right," Gray said, raising an eyebrow. He knew that Natsu was lying, but he decided that he liked the tenuous fallacy better than the alternative: that Lucy and Natsu had snuck off together intending on doing something _else_ with their time.

He left it at that and walked away, pretending he didn't see Natsu slump against the wall with relief behind his back. He headed back to his suite, dried off, and changed into fresh clothes. Soon enough he was bombarded with yet another unpleasant visitor – there seemed to be no shortage of them with the wedding right around the corner.

Leon burst into the room without an invitation, his thin eyebrows drawn together in a livid scowl. He pointed an accusing finger at Gray, who was still reeling from the fact that the foster brother who hadn't said two words to him since arrival was suddenly standing in his personal chambers ready to speak. "You vagrant!" were the first words out of his mouth.

Gray's astonishment quickly gave way to irritation. "Hello, Leon," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "Please, do come in."

"Don't play innocent," Leon snarled. "I saw what you did, and even I never thought you'd sink so low."

"What are you talking about?"

"You! I _saw_ you carrying that unconscious woman to the back of the castle! What did you do with her, Gray? I always thought you had trouble containing your vulgar tendencies, but I never considered you a defiler of beautiful women!"

"What?! Are you talking about Juvia?" Gray exclaimed. "I didn't do anything to her. Why is that always the immediate reaction…?"

"Why indeed?" Leon snapped. "Well, if you didn't ravish her, then what's your explanation?"

Gray frowned. "I don't owe you explanations, Leon. You're the one who came barging in here. I didn't do anything to Juvia, and that's all you need to know."

"You're avoiding the question," Leon said. "I don't trust you, not one bit. Juvia is a lovely woman, and I swear if you did anything to hurt her…"

"Why are you so interested in Juvia anyway?" said Gray harshly. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about your fiancée?"

"Sherry isn't getting knocked out and carried away by suspicious characters," Leon countered, "and she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Juvia doesn't remember anything about her past life, and is especially vulnerable to conniving urchins like you."

"How do you know so much about Juvia?"

"We had a nice conversation just this morning," Leon sniffed. "While she was looking for you, I might add. I found her company quite compelling."

"Who's the creep now?" Gray said, raising an eyebrow. "You have a fiancée, Leon. Don't go getting any ideas about Juvia."

"Why? Are you jealous?"

"Of course I'm not _jealous_!" Gray sputtered. "I'm just warning you – "

"I don't need advice from the likes of you!" Leon interrupted. "And you have yet to answer my original question. What did you do to Juvia?"

Gray sighed in resignation. "I took her out to lunch, she almost got ran over by a carriage on the way back. She fainted from the shock and I carried her back to Lucy's room, which is easily accessible from the back of the castle. Now, are you satisfied?"

"It sounds like you weren't taking very good care of her on your date," Leon retorted.

"It wasn't a date," Gray responded with growing annoyance. "And Juvia isn't a helpless child, Leon. She doesn't need me to 'take care of her'."

"She might as well be! She doesn't remember anything!"

"That doesn't make her defenseless! You're talking about her like she doesn't have any common sense!"

"If she went out alone with you, then she obviously doesn't!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that you're a creep, and a pervert, and you aren't worthy of Juvia's affections!" Leon declared. "She is innocent and beautiful, and she's too good to see what a monster you are!"

"Juvia isn't nearly _that_ deluded," Gray remarked.

"Don't talk like you know her better than I do!"

"At least I've had more than one conversation with her!"

"Boys, boys, boys…" Ultear suddenly appeared between them, pressing a hand to each of their bare chests to separate them. In the heat of the moment they'd stripped their shirts and the room had grown several degrees colder as their ice magic projected its aura. The men grimaced, unnerved that Ultear had been able to sneak up on them, and wondered how long she'd been eavesdropping before stepping in. Clearly they had been ready to trade blows, which might have been disastrous for Exhibitionist Castle and its inhabitants. Ultear looked back and forth between them, her dark, sinister eyes flashing in amusement. "Having a family squabble without me? How inconsiderate."

Leon jerked out of her reach. "It doesn't concern you, Ultear."

"Perhaps not," Ultear admitted, "but as a woman and your sister, I could supply a helpful perspective to your situation. You two were arguing over Miss Juvia Lockster, yes?"

The brothers cringed in unease. Their suspicions were confirmed – Ultear could have eavesdropped for any amount of time, and they had been too occupied to even notice until she was right in front of their noses.

"Leon is right," Gray concurred. "It's not your business."

"But Gray, I agree with you. Leon should be more focused on Lady Blendy, and not this simpleton of a woman from who-knows-where," Ultear said. While she was supposedly talking about Leon, she looked at Gray as she said, "He should just leave her _alone_."

Leon spared them a bitter scowl and stooped to grab his discarded shirt, pulling it over his head in jerky, angry motions. He stormed away without a word, slamming the door behind him. Apparently he was back to the silent treatment. Not that Gray minded one bit, if their conversations were only going to dissolve into arguments.

He, too, retrieved his shirt and put it on. Ultear watched him, making no move to leave. As much as he wanted to be alone, Gray certainly wasn't going to. It was his room, after all.

He turned and made to walk to his study, intent on ignoring his foster sister altogether, when she suddenly said, "So, how was lunch with Miss Lucy?"

"Brief," Gray muttered, breeching the threshold of the study and pretending to mess with some papers on his desk. Ultear trailed behind like a shadow, stopping in the doorway unobtrusively.

"Why?"

"She had things to do."

"Like?"

"Like working. Because that's what productive people do with their time, instead of mooching off their brothers' success."

Ultear dismissed the jab with a lazy wave of her hand. "True ladies shouldn't work. It's not good for them. If she just showed more of an effort to win your heart, she wouldn't have to work another day in her life."

"Yeah, well, maybe Lucy just doesn't like me enough to sacrifice her livelihood," Gray said.

"You mean to sacrifice her Dragonslayer," Ultear corrected. "Is that why you went to lunch with that Lockster woman instead? Because you're feeling insecure about Lucy?"

"I'm not feeling insecure," Gray snapped. "Juvia was present when I invited Lucy, so it would have been rude not to invite her as well. And I'm glad I did, because I had a good time."

"Listen to me, Gray," Ultear said, the sugary coo gone from her tone. "Don't fool yourself. Juvia is beneath you. You don't know where she came from, or what she's done. She could be a fugitive for all you know. You criticized Leon for pretending to know her, when in reality you are guilty of the same."

"Ultear," Gray said dangerously, "if you insult another one of my guests again, I will personally drag you out of my castle and leave you out on the street."

Ultear's scarlet lips tightened. "Fine," she said curtly. "But remember this, brother. You say you don't know if Miss Lucy loves you? Just remember who risked her life to save you from your watery grave."

The memory immediately played against Gray's eyelids. Pushing Lucy out of the way; the solid impact of Elfman's body; the blinding pain in his head; the salty water choking him, blinding him, smothering his life; pale, feminine hands reaching for him, lifting gently and quickly; Lucy's face above his own, brown eyes clouded with worry, smears of blood on her skin.

When the imaginary film finally ended, Gray was watching Ultear retreat into the corridor, and there was a heavy, cold knot in the center of his chest. He pressed his palms into his eyes. When he opened them, there was blood on his fingertips. The cut on his forehead was bleeding again.

Someone knocked on the open door and stepped inside his study. "Duke Gray?" Juvia peered inside the study hesitantly. "Duke Gray left his umbrella in Juvia's room, so she's come to return it and thank him for – " She froze when she spotted Gray leaning against his desk, blood dripping from his forehead. "Great Lady!" she screamed, dropping the umbrella and rushing to his aid. "Duke Gray is injured! Juvia must get him to the nurse, or young Lady Blendy – yes, Juvia just saw her, Juvia will take Duke Gray to her!"

Juvia swatted his hands out of the way and inspected his wound. Her fingertips were smooth and cool on his forehead, which was unusual, because everyone he'd ever known except for Leon and Ur had a higher body temperature than he did. It was kind of nice, to feel like the warm one for once. Gray closed his eyes as the room began spinning. He could smell Juvia, the cool, fresh scent of her hair, like rain. There was almost something familiar about her…

"Come on, Duke Gray," she said, grabbing his hand and gently pulling him into an upright position. Her pale fingers were covered in crimson blood, the white cuffs of her new dress spotted with it. If she cared, it didn't show. "Juvia will take you to the nurse."

Gray let her lead him like a blind man. He wondered how long he'd been bleeding to produce this much blood. Had his wound split when he was yelling at Leon? Had Ultear noticed it and failed to say anything?

Then he remembered something. Something about Ultear and his head. She'd healed it, hadn't she? He forgot to ask her about that. But Ultear didn't have healing magic. She couldn't have healed him. Had she done something? Something to his mind?

Had Ultear finally found a way to get inside his head?

By the time they made it to the infirmary, Juvia was half dragging him. He heard her distorted voice calling for the nurse, who rushed over in an absolute panic. She helped Juvia lower him into a cot, but he couldn't let go of the blunette despite the nurse's insistence that he should. He reached out and grabbed Juvia's face in an attempt to keep it in focus, a hand cupping each cheek. Juvia seemed surprised, pleased, even, and assured him in a quiet voice that she would get him whatever he needed.

"Lucy," he mumbled, "get…find….Lucy…"

Something cold and wet splashed on Gray's fingertips. It felt like a tiny raindrop. Juvia slowly took his hands in her own and removed them from her cheeks. "Yes, Duke Gray," she said thickly.

Gray nodded and watched her leave until the nurse blocked his eyeshot, something sad and guilty replacing the cold hard mass in his heart.


	81. Alternatives

**_Author's Note:_** _From this point forward, I revoke a previous statement. I shall be incorporating some stuff from after the Tenrou Island ark and *spoiler alert!* the seven-year gap (because I'm pretty sure everyone knows what happens by now). There's just so many interesting little twists that I couldn't bare to leave out!_

* * *

><p><strong>LXXXI: Alternatives<strong>

"I still don't understand why you made Juvia go deliver the umbrella to Gray," Natsu said, frowning. "She just got up. You could've done it a while ago."

Lucy sighed. "Weren't you listening, Natsu? Juvia says that she's convinced Gray is in love with her, and if he saved her from the carriage, who am I to argue? We need to monopolize on this. They need to be alone together as much as possible."

"Hence, waiting for her to wake up so _she's_ the one who delivers the umbrella, leaving them alone in his room," Levy finished. She and Gajeel had joined the trio in Lucy's room after Levy learned of Juvia's date with Gray and demanded all the juicy details (minus, of course, Juvia's prior condition, which Natsu, Happy, and Lucy unanimously decided to keep to themselves).

"I see now. That's a good idea, Lucy!"

"Thank you, thank you. Mira's trained me well."

"Actually, it was my idea," said Happy.

"Shut up, stupid cat!" Lucy snapped. "I'm the one who decided that she needed to spend as much time with him as possible!"

"Well anyone can figure that out," Gajeel scoffed.

Lucy opened her mouth to retort, but was silenced when there was a soft rapping at the door. Juvia slowly pushed it open, her face and hands covered in blood. "Lucy…" she whispered miserably.

"Oh my goodness! Juvia!" Lucy shot off the bed and rushed over to her friend, checking her for injuries. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Juvia shook her head. "No, it is not Juvia's blood. It is Duke Gray. His head wound began to open up again and Juvia helped him to the infirmary. He asked to see Lucy."

"That's a lot of blood…I better get down there." Lucy quickly ducked out of the room, running down the corridor. Natsu, Happy, and Levy shared a glance and raced after her, leaving a stunned Gajeel in the dust. Juvia watched them go.

The Iron Dragonslayer began to panic when he realized that his opportunity to escape was gone. He was stuck in unfamiliar territory with a strange woman who looked utterly miserable. For a moment he debated on just ignoring the common courtesies that Levy had managed to pound into him over the past few months and leaving her. Then he heard Juvia make a little hiccup noise and felt nothing but overwhelming sympathy for the girl.

_Damn it_, he thought. _When did you get to be such a freakin' pansy? If Metalicana were here, he'd skin you alive for even considering doing what you're about to do. _And despite the fact that it went against his very nature, he awkwardly cleared his throat and asked, "Hey, uh…are you…okay?"

Juvia looked up, her big eyes wide and dripping tears. She started to nod, to deny everything, but her façade quickly crumbled and she shook her head from side to side, collapsing into uncontrollable sobs that were almost shrieks. Gajeel felt a shiver go down his spine as the tempo of the rain quickened until it was almost deafening against the roof of the castle. His uneasiness over this matter was short-lived, though, because the next second Juvia had tackled him and was crying into his shirt, hysteria sending tremors through her body.

"No, Juvia is not okay!" she said between gasps. "Juvia is…is…shattered. Duke Gray does not love Juvia – he is in love with Lucy, and there is nothing Juvia can do about it! She tricked herself into thinking that Duke Gray might give her a chance, but she just misinterpreted Duke Gray's kindness! And now Juvia is going to pay for it with her life!"

Gajeel was utterly bewildered, which was saying something. It didn't happen often. "Hey! Wait a minute, that's tough and all, but it's nothin' to…you know…hurt yourself over. I mean, you'll get over this ice guy eventually, right? And besides, Blondie doesn't love him – she's got the hots for Salamander, so you ain't got anything to worry about – "

"Lord Gajeel doesn't understand," Juvia whimpered. "Juvia made a choice to get here and be normal so that Duke Gray could fall in love with her. A-and now, because he doesn't, she is going to be turned into sea foam!"

A powerful gust of wind burst the windows open, sending howling wind and chilling rain into the room. It didn't even phase Gajeel. He closed his eyes and let his arms close around the frantic woman. He didn't know her whole situation, but it was clear that she cared deeply for Fullbuster and that she'd undergone some spell to get to him – one with serious side effects. Gajeel could relate.

He knew what it was like to have a curse hanging over his head.

"There's always another way," Gajeel told her. It was meant to be comforting, but the effect was negated by the fact that he had to yell over the storm. "Take it from someone who knows! Don't give up hope yet, alright? That idiot ain't gonna ruin your happiness if I've got anything to say about it!"

"It's not Duke Gray's fault!" Juvia shoved Gajeel away with surprising strength, looking utterly livid. The wind outside picked up, and the rain was warmer, almost steamy. "It is Juvia's fault for making such a stupid wish! For being so foolish! Duke Gray can't help what he feels for Lucy any more than Juvia can help what she feels for Duke Gray!" With that, she turned and ran out of the room. Gajeel balked and rushed after her, peering out the doorway, but she had already disappeared into the darkness. He shook his head and walked back inside the room, struggling for a few moments to close the window. Then he ran a hand through his soaking hair and gulped. _There's somethin' weird about that girl_, he thought, frowning. _Somethin' dangerous about her and that storm. It was almost like she was controlling it. No, not even that. It was like the storm was copying her emotions._ He looked once more out the window at the escalating weather and he, too, sprinted from Lucy's room.

Gajeel found Levy in the infirmary, along with Lucy, Natsu, and Happy, who were all gathered around Gray's bed. He was sitting up, fresh gauze wrapped around his forehead, and seemed fairly alert – enough to argue with the Salamander, at least.

"I only asked for Lucy! I didn't want to see your face when I woke up, flame-brain."

"What's wrong with my face?!"

"You really don't want me to answer that."

Natsu scowled. "Look, if you got something to say to Lucy, you can say it to me. Levy and Happy, too. I'm tired of you trying to be all secretive about stuff."

"It's _personal business_," Gray snapped.

"Oi!" The group turned to face Gajeel, who stepped out of the shadows with a scowl on his face. He pointed an accusing finger at Gray. "I've got to side with the Salamander on this one, Fullbuster. You need to get over yourself. I just got done comforting that freaky chick you and Blondie found on the beach."

"Juvia?" Gray said. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't know, idiot," Gajeel snarled. "Maybe she was a bit upset that you went and asked for Blondie when she was right here!"

Gray blinked. "Why would that bother her?"

The group groaned unanimously. "Are you really that blind, Gray?!" Levy exclaimed. "Juvia is in love with you!"

"What?! No she's not," Gray said.

"Yes, she is!" Lucy cried. "I've tried to get you two together all week! She's been in love with you since she saw you on the beach! She told me herself! She even said that she thought you were interested in her, too."

"I never said that," Gray snapped. "I don't love Juvia, okay?" He looked away and mumbled something under his breath, face turning slightly pink.

"What was that?" Lucy inquired.

"I think…I'm in love with the woman who saved me from drowning that day," said Gray. "I felt it when she lifted me out of the water, when she gave me air when I didn't have any. It's stupid, but I love that woman. You, Lucy. I love you."

There was a shocked silence. Even Gajeel raised his eyebrows, while everyone else suffered from wide eyes and dropped jaws. Lucy looked down at her lap, her fists trembling with emotion.

Gray was concerned. "Lucy…?"

"Gray…" Lucy looked up, eyes flashing, and began hitting him repeatedly. "You – stupid – idiot! You don't love me! I told you a million times that I didn't pull you out of the water – I can't even _swim_! It wasn't me!"

"Ow! Stop – hitting me!" Gray grabbed her wrists, holding them still. "You're lying to me! I know you did – I remember, I saw your hands and your face!"

"No, you didn't," Lucy said. "I didn't rescue you. I just tried to stop the bleeding when Elfman pulled you on the boat."

"No. Elfman didn't pull me out of the water. I saw a girl's hands reaching for me."

"Yes, you did," Lucy admitted. "But they weren't mine. Gray, you're such an idiot. The woman who rescued you is _Juvia_. She's the one who brought you to the surface. You love her, and you don't even know it."

"It…it can't be Juvia," Gray insisted. "She wasn't there. We didn't find her until – "

"Think of _where_ we found her," Lucy interrupted.

"…On the beach…but that doesn't mean – I mean, how – ?"

"I can't explain," Lucy said, standing up and dislodging herself from Gray. "All I know is that you need to go find her before she does something crazy."

"But I can't go anywhere," Gray said. "I can't even stand up."

Lucy just shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "That's a sorry excuse," she said, disgusted. "The Gray that I've come to know would do everything in his power if he was really determined to do something. But I guess if you're not going to look for her, we are. Come on, guys." One by one they all left, their expressions varying from disappointment to contempt to pity. Eventually, Gray just sat there, alone, head throbbing, utterly conflicted.

* * *

><p>Juvia was in a similar state. Only she was soaking wet to boot.<p>

She sat on the dock where Gray had lain bleeding after their first mutual encounter. The sea surged forward and doused the area in front of her with spray, while the warm rain pelted her and the wind clawed its fingers at her hair and clothes; but she didn't mind. She felt more complete here. At home, almost.

It didn't stop the hurting.

Juvia didn't know what to do. She could jump into the ocean and return to her mermaid form, living as the enchantress's prisoner for the rest of her life. There was a good possibility, with her father's power, that she could even be freed and go back to her normal life in Atlantis.

Inside, Juvia knew that wasn't an option. Her life would never be normal again, not even if she returned to Atlantis. She would never be able to forget Gray, or Lucy, or anything about this incredible world above the sea. She would never be able to heal from her wounds, much less integrate into a society she had never truly belonged to.

She could wait until the next full moon and turn in to sea foam. It was a morbid ending, but what other choice did she have? Gray didn't want her, and he was her only hope for survival. Without him, she would disintegrate one way or another. Why not do it painlessly?

That's what she reasoned, but the thought of death still scared her to her bones.

She dropped her head into her hands, sobbing. What could she do? She was trapped, and it was her own fault. She had signed the contract; she had offered up her fins, her gills, her life; she had made the deal. All for some foolish endeavor.

"Juvia!"

She looked up, gasping. Had she just heard that voice? Impossible. That person shouldn't be here…not unless…

"Yeah, stupid, it's me! Look over here!"

Juvia cautiously peered over the side of the dock, careful not to let the water touch her. Sure enough, three mermaids bobbed on the rough, foamy surface of the water.

"Aquarius? Pisces? Pisukesu? What are the three of you doing here?!"

"We're here to help our little sister, of course," said the mermaid with long black hair, fins for ears, and green scales covering her torso. She looked at the boy, who was around Juvia's age and had tan skin and white hair. "Or aunt."

"Is Pisces taking Juvia back to Father?"

"No," said the other woman, whose blue hair was held back from her face with a golden headpiece and who scowled up at Juvia with menace. "There'd be no point. You'd just mope around all the time if we did."

"What Aquarius is _trying_ to say," Pisces interrupted, "is that we care about you, Juvia, and that we want you to be happy. We've been watching you for a few days now – and making sure that Father hasn't noticed  
>your absence. We saw…what happened. And we want to help."<p>

Juvia looked away, vision blurring. "Juvia appreciates it, but there is nothing Pisces can do."

"Yes, there is," Pisukesu said, speaking for the first time. "We've found a way to help you."

"How? How can anyone help Juvia?"

"We went to Meredy the Enchantress," Aquarius explained. "And she gave us this."

Pisces held up a sharp blade made of a swordfish nose, serrated and dangerous. Juvia took it from her hesitantly. "If you cut your duke with that blade and bring his blood to the ocean, then you will return to your original state and forget everything that's happened. You'll forget every memory of him and every other land dweller you've met."

"You can come home," Pisukesu whispered. "You can be happy again."

Juvia looked down at the sword longingly. It glowed bright blue where her tears fell on it, illuminating her conflicted face. "What…what did Aquarius, Pisces, and Pisukesu promise in return?"

The three looked at each other guiltily, as though they were hoping Juvia wouldn't recall Meredy's haggling nature. "It's not important," said Pisces.

"Pisces promised her key, didn't she?" Juvia said, her eyes flashing angrily. "So did Aquarius. You promised your keys to her!"

"Hey! We didn't exactly have anything else to bargain with," Aquarius snapped. "Look, it's not a big deal. You know Father won't stand for it. He'll take us back eventually."

"Juvia also knows how Father feels about bargains!" Juvia said. "He won't interfere if Aquarius and Pisces willingly made an earnest bargain with Meredy!"

"He'll find a loophole," Pisukesu said. "He always does. Besides, you're more important, Juvia. You're his only biological child."

Juvia shook her head, stifling sobs. "Juvia is a failure. Father does not want Juvia anymore. He will be furious at her for forcing you three to sacrifice your keys."

"Quit whining!" Aquarius snarled. "You didn't force us to do anything, alright? Like you said, we did it of our own free will. And stop wallowing in self-pity, because it's not pretty. Father loves you most of all, and you know it. He's been worried sick about you because he hasn't heard from you in so long. Why do you think we're showing up now?"

"Please, Juvia," Pisces put in. "Just use the sword and get yourself out of this mess. Don't worry about us. We've got a plan."

"We'll be waiting for you," Pisukesu promised.

And then, one by one, they dove back into the black ocean.

Juvia gripped the sword in her hands. If she didn't use it, she would die. If she did use it, she could live out the rest of her existence in blissful ignorance of any heartbreak at all. It wasn't a difficult decision. Her siblings would belong to Meredy whether she used the thing or not. And all she wanted at this point was for the hole in her chest to go away.

She looked up at the moon, which was slowly beginning to wane. "White Lady," she whispered, closing her eyes against the softer, cold rain. "Juvia begs of you to give her strength."

Then she stood, hiding the blade in her skirts and marching toward the back entrance of Exhibitionist Castle.

* * *

><p><strong>Side Note: <strong>_"Pisukesu" is Japanese for "Pisces". I used that name for the boy half of Pisces, because I figured it would be easier to distinguish them that way, and splitting up the names like Gemini does just didn't turn out right._


	82. Foiled Plans

**LXXXII: Foiled Plans**

Lady Sherry Blendy found Juvia wandering through the corridors of Exhibitionist Castle, soaking wet, shivering, and muttering to herself. She breathed a sigh of relief – she really was quite bored of looking for this strange woman everyone was making such a fuss about – and called out to her fiancée, who had promptly joined the search party after learning of Juvia's disappearance. In fact, it seemed like the entire castle was looking for her, even the irksome, complaining bride-to-be.

Leon jogged to meet Sherry, who pointed out the woman. "Is that her?"

"Yes," he said. "That's Juvia."

They slowly approached her. She was extremely distressed, her hair and dress disheveled, pacing up and down the corridor. Juvia looked up when she noticed them and seemed as relieved to see them as they were to see her.

"Lord Leon! Finally. Juvia has been searching for hours, and she has been unable to find anyone to help her find her way to the infirmary."

"I find that very hard to believe," Leon said, raising his eyebrows. "We've been looking for you for nearly an hour now. Where have you been?"

"Juvia was walking along the beach," the woman said.

"In this storm?! What were you thinking?"

"Juvia was not thinking. That was why she was walking – to clear her head."

Sherry shrugged. "Makes sense to me."

"Women," Leon muttered. "By the way, Juvia, this is Sherry, my betrothed."

"Juvia is honored to meet Lady Blendy," said the woman, curtseying deeply and a bit awkwardly.

"Likewise."

"We'll help you get back to your room so you can get dried off," Leon said, offering his arm to Juvia. "And to let everyone else know you're alright. Mister Warren is waiting in your room to telecommincate your whereabouts to all the search parties."

Juvia shook her head vigorously. "No! Juvia needs to talk to Duke Gray first."

"He's only going to upset you," Leon warned. "I, personally, don't think he deserves to talk to you ever again after the pain he's caused you. Just come with us, Juvia. Please?"

Sherry frowned at her fiancée. "If she wants to go, Leon, let her go. We can go tell Warren that we've found her. She probably needs to talk to Gray about"—she sighed breathlessly—"_love_."

Leon's face said that that was exactly what he was worried about, but he begrudgingly agreed to escort Juvia to the infirmary while Sherry updated Warren. Sherry wasn't keen on the compromise – she was slightly suspicious of her fiancée's curious behavior toward this strange but lovely woman – however, Leon refused to negotiate any further.

"Are you sure about this, Juvia?" he asked her as they went their separate ways, Sherry glancing back at them skeptically.

"…No," Juvia said honestly. "But it is something Juvia must do if she is ever to move on. It is clear to her now that Duke Gray does not care for her, and that she must…must move on."

"I don't know," said Leon, "I think he cares for you. That's what worries me about him, honestly. He doesn't know where his feelings are, whereas you're so sure where your heart belongs…I'm just afraid he'll take advantage of your certainty."

Juvia shook her head. "Duke Gray has never tried to fool Juvia. And perhaps he does care for Juvia platonically, but he does not love her. He loves Miss Lucy. Juvia heard him say it."

"But—"

"Please, Lord Leon," Juvia interrupted uncharacteristically, her voice thick. "Juvia knows that Lord Leon is only trying to comfort her, but she is not prepared to discuss it with him yet."

Leon closed his mouth and nodded, and remained silent all the way to the infirmary. He stopped outside the doors. "I'll wait here if you need me," he told her gently.

"Thank you," Juvia said. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and entered the spacious hospital wing to face the love of her life.

He was sitting in the cot closest to the door, talking to young Chelia Blendy. When he saw her, he collapsed in relief. "There you are, Juvia," he said as she came near. "Chelia, will you give us a minute?"

The younger Blendy sister left, presumably to wait outside with Leon. Juvia stopped beside Gray's bed looked down at her feet, waiting for him to begin. Part of her didn't want to talk to him at all, but she knew that she needed this, even if she wouldn't remember it later. The dagger in her skirt felt heavy and awkward next to her leg.

"I'm…sorry," Gray said, looking down at his hands. "I didn't mean to…hurt you. It wasn't intentional."

"It is Juvia who is sorry, Duke Gray. She apologizes for misinterpreting your kindness toward her, and for forcing herself upon you. It will not happen again."

"No, don't—"

"Juvia hopes that Duke Gray and Miss Lucy have a very happy life together."

"Juvia—"

"And she is sorry, most of all, for what she is about to do. But now that she's here, looking at Duke Gray, she knows that it is necessary if she is ever going to be content." With that she drew the swordfish dagger from under her skirt, causing Gray's eyes to widen. She could have stabbed him if she'd wanted to, she could have killed him even, but seeing his surprised, fearful expression caused her to hesitate for just a moment too long. As she steeled her resolve and brought the dagger down, Gray had the opportunity to grab her wrists and prevented her from slicing him.

"Don't do this, Juvia!" he yelled. "Please, I don't want to have to hurt you!"

"Juvia does not want to hurt Duke Gray either!" Juvia cried. "But it is the only way!"

"It's not! Let's just talk about this!"

"Juvia can't do it!" She released the sword. It fell on Gray's lap harmlessly. "She cannot even cut Duke Gray. She cannot harm a hair on his head. She cannot do it. Juvia is such a horrible person!" She collapsed, splaying herself on Gray's chest as she sobbed. Gray blinked, bewildered at the sudden turn of events, but tenderly wrapped his arms around her. After all, he was responsible for her misery, and he hated seeing her this way. He preferred her smiling her goofy, ecstatic grin.

"You're not a horrible person, Juvia," he whispered.

"Don't say that."

"It's true. You're a great person."

"Please stop." Gray jolted in shock when he felt something slice the skin of his abdomen, and let go of Juvia as she sat up. The sword was in her fist, the serrated edge bloodied by the shallow cut across his stomach. It wasn't a serious wound, but it was enough to surprise him. Juvia looked at the sword as though even she was baffled by the act she'd just committed, then back at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Juvia is sincerely sorry, Duke Gray, but she cannot waste her siblings' sacrifices nor can she resign herself to death or a life of despair. This is the only alternative. Juvia is sorry she had to hurt you, and she will never forgive herself for it."

With that she turned and sprinted out of the infirmary, knocking Leon and Chelia – who had their ears pressed against the door – out of her way as she made a sharp right and continued running. The other two glanced at each other and rushed into the infirmary, only to see Gray covered in blood and gaping after Juvia.

"Gray!" Chelia exclaimed, hastily looked around for bandages. "What happened? Why are you all bloody?!"

"Juvia…cut me," he answered hollowly. "She...cut me with a weird sword…"

"What'd she say before she cut you?" Leon asked urgently.

"She said that she was a horrible person and that she'd never forgive herself for hurting me, but that she couldn't waste her siblings' sacrifices…do you know what that means?"

"Not a clue. I thought she couldn't remember anything."

"Hello!" Chelia cried. "Gray, you're bleeding out! Are you going to sit here and chat, or are you going to tell me where the bandages are?!"

Gray waved her away, pressing his hands to his abdomen and crudely sealing it with ice. "It's not a bad injury, so don't worry about it. I'm more worried about what Juvia's going to do with my blood. I don't know for sure where she got that sword, but I have an idea."

"You think she met up with her siblings," Leon deduced. "But where would she have met them? We haven't seen anyone new around Hargeon. No one like her."

"No, but think about what Hargeon's surrounded by," Gray said.

"The ocean?"

"Yes. Lucy implied earlier that Juvia is actually some kind of creature that lives in the ocean, and that she was the one who saved me on the boat."

"Juvia did say she was walking along the beach before I found her," Leon said.

"And I found there the first time, washed up on the shore. If what Lucy said is true, then she's the one I've been looking for. She's the one who saved my life."

Leon raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

"What?"

"She's the one who saved your life, Gray!" Leon roared, frustrated. "We have proof now! Eye-witnesses! Are you going to just sit here while she runs off to do who-knows-what with your blood? Or are you going to go after her and tell her what she means to you?"

"But Lucy—"

"Isn't who you thought she was," Leon finished. "Forget about her. We both know that she came here with the Salamander, and that's who she's leaving with. Juvia _loves_ you, Gray. Loves you enough to risk her life to save yours. She's been dedicated to you since before you knew she even existed. You can stay here and moon over a woman who's never going to be with you, but I'd be ashamed to call you my brother if you did."

Gray gawked at Leon. Then he gave him a determined nod and threw the blankets off. Chelia fretted over him as he stood up, stumbled a bit as the room spun, but caught himself on the side of the bed. Gray clapped a hand on Leon's shoulder as he passed. "I think Sherry's rubbing off on you," he said.

"Just shut up and go get Juvia before I have to do _that_ for you, too."

Gray smirked. "Leon...thank you." He ran out of the infirmary, ignoring the pain in his abdomen. He had a feeling he knew where Juvia would be.

Leon watched him go, then turned around and glared at a shape lurking in the corner. "Show's over. You can come out now."

Chelia shrieked when Ultear materialized from the darkness, looking impressed. "How long did you know I was there, brother?"

"The whole time. I figured you'd want to keep an eye on the progress of your little scheme."

"What scheme?"

"You might have messed with Gray's brain, but not mine," Leon said. "I know what you did. It all started when Lucy got here. You recognized her, but don't go thinking you were the only one. Do you remember who ruled when my hometown was destroyed by Deliora? Queen Heartphilia came to help with the recovery. I'll never forget the face of the woman who tried everything to piece my town back together, even if she didn't succeed. I knew who Lucy was when she arrived, and I knew as soon as you started disappearing with Gray that you did, too."

Ultear's face grew darker and darker as Leon continued to speak. "You don't know what you're talking about, Leon."

"But I do. My suspicions were confirmed when Gray took Lucy out on a date. You were trying to get them together so that they would produce a child who could stake a claim to the throne of Fiore. Then you'd be aunt to the king or queen, and you'd have ridiculous influence. But you couldn't just whisper in Gray's ear. No, you're much too power-hungry for that. When that catastrophe happened on the boat, you saw your opportunity and you _manipulated_ Gray's memories so that he connected the woman who saved him with Lucy. You erased Juvia's presence from his mind entirely."

By the time Leon was done speaking, Ultear was scowling at him with enough menace to spoil cream. "You think you're so clever, Leon," she purred. "But it's too late now. There's nothing that little bitch can do to fix Gray's mind. He's putty in my hands, now."

"That's a lie!" This didn't come from Leon, but from Chelia, who stood by his side and looked absolutely furious. "Never underestimate the power of true love!"

Ultear tipped back her head and laughed. "True love? Do you really think that they love each other, little girl? How do you know Gray's obsession with the woman who saved him wasn't also placed there by me?"

"Because you can manipulate time and therefore memories," Leon said. "But you can't alter someone's emotions. What Gray feels is all his own. He loves Juvia, but because of your intervention he thought those feelings were for Lucy."

"And what makes you think that his running after her is going to change that?"

"The truth will crumble your spell. Once he hears the truth from Juvia's lips, he'll remember it how it really happened. And then you're going to have hell to pay, dear sister."

Ultear raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, there's only one problem."

"What's that?" Leon asked, rolling his eyes.

"Juvia's cursed," Ultear chuckled. "She can't say a word to Gray about what happened."

"You're bluffing," Leon said immediately.

"If it was, don't you think she would have said something to him by now?" Ultear tilted her head. "Don't you think I would be more worried about the 'progress of my scheme'?"

Leon scowled. Ultear did seem unnervingly relaxed for someone whose plans were supposedly unraveling like an old tapestry.

"You may have figured it out, Leon," she said with a smile. "You may have even foiled my plan – for now. But you've done nothing to help our brother or his little mermaid. You're just too late."

With another hearty laugh, she threw herself back into the shadows and disappeared.


	83. Returning The Gesture

_**Author's Note:** I know it's been a long time since the last update, but I have excuses! You guys don't want to hear (or read) them though, so I'll just get on with the part you do want to know: to make up for it, I have an extra long, action-packed chapter! Yay! And as per request, I've included some more Lucy and Natsu. I know they've been neglected lately._

_On a side note: has else anyone read chapter 334 of the series yet?! Holy shit!_

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><p><strong>LXXXIII: Returning The Gesture<strong>

_Crisis averted, people. Lady Blendy found Miss Lockster. Lord Vastia is escorting her to the infirmary at this moment_.

Lucy was relieved to hear Warren's voice echoing through her mind. She'd been worried sick about Juvia. After informing Mirajane and Makarov of Juvia's disappearance, they managed to rally nearly the entire castle into a search party. _Nearly_.

She still boiled at Gray's complete insensitivity. She could understand if he didn't return Juvia's feelings, but Lucy had certainly made it clear she wasn't interested—hadn't she?—and was not about to be used as a scapegoat. What irked her the most was that Gray hadn't gone after Juvia to comfort her. That much he could have done.

"Let's go to the infirmary to make sure that she's okay," Lucy suggested to Natsu.

"And to make sure that punk Fullbuster isn't bothering her," Natsu added.

"That, too."

"Lucy," Happy interrupted, "are you sure that Juvia will want to see you? You are _the other woman_, after all."

Lucy and Natsu simultaneously and vehemently denied the claim. "There is nothing going on between Gray and me," the prior said, shooting Natsu a look. "Juvia knows that. We're friends. She knows I'd never try to steal Gray away."

"But you did, and you weren't even trying," Happy pointed out.

"Not true. The only reason Gray thinks he's in love with me is because of a misunderstanding. But…maybe you're right. Maybe I shouldn't go see her." Lucy frowned. "But what if she overanalyzes my absence in a bad way?"

"I think _you're_ overanalyzing this, Lucy," said Natsu.

Just then, a woman barreled into them. Lucy caught a glimpse of blue hair and sword before the woman tore down the corridor and around the corner. The three of them gaped after her.

Happy blinked. "Wasn't that—?"

"Yes," Lucy confirmed.

They heard footsteps and Gray burst into the corridor, bare-chested and winded. He had a wound on his abdomen that was sealed up with ice. His head was still bandaged up as well. "Which—way—did—she—go?" he wheezed, clutching the ice.

"Gray?! What happened?" Lucy shrieked.

"No time. Which way?"

"Um, that way—" Lucy pointed around the corner and Gray took off in that direction. After a moment of hesitation and a shared glance, they followed him.

They followed him outside to the beach, where the rain was coming down in sheets. Juvia must have been very upset for it to be raining this hard, Lucy reasoned. She'd long figured out that the weather correlated with the mermaid's emotions.

"I can't see anything!" she shouted over the din.

Natsu grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the rain after him. "I can! Follow me!"

Within seconds, they were too soaked to make out much of anything. Lucy let Natsu pull her through the sticky, wet sand. Even he was having trouble keeping up with the faint pale blur that was Gray in all this rain.

Gray had gained on Juvia, who was less experienced in effectively navigating the sands of the beach. He made out her dark shape in the distance, hunched against the rain and cradling the sword. If he could just catch up with her…but his wound was sending agonizing pains up and down his body, his head was throbbing with every step, and he was soaked to the bone.

She reached the ocean before he did.

Juvia knew that Gray was following her, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. She had to be strong for her siblings, for Gray, for Lucy, and, most of all, for herself. She couldn't let Gray dominate over her emotions anymore. She ran like the devil was at her heels, collapsing next to the waves that crashed onto the shore. Sand splashed into the water. She only had a moment before Gray reached her. She closed her eyes, holding out the sword as the next wave surged up.

_This is it_.

"Juvia!"

Gray tackled her. It knocked the breath out of Juvia and jarred her out of her concentration. They hit the sand hard. Juvia tasted salt in her mouth, and felt the grit of the dirt in her face. She could feel Gray's body, his arms around her, their legs tangled together. His hands clasped her own, trying to wrestle the sword from her grip. His chin dug into her shoulder.

Another wave crashed into them, dousing them in freezing, tangy seawater.

When Gray spit and blinked the water out of his face, he had the sword in his hands. It was clean. He lowered his blurred gaze to Juvia, who looked horrified.

The effect was instantaneous. The water around them began to bubble and glow a deep violet, giving off the aroma of seaweed, pearls, and shipwrecked wood. Gray was captivated by it, but for some reason Juvia was trying to get him out the water, pushing him away, out onto the sand, screaming for him to run away. There were other hands on him next; Lucy and Natsu assisting her, asking what was happening…

The water coalesced into the shape of a woman. Even in the rain and the sea, her lavish clothes and long pink hair remained dry. Her eyes were a luminous green, flashing like beacons in the night. She wore a headdress decorated with two golden wings, and a red dress with a cloak and black boots. Juvia watched in awe as she walked onto the shore, assessing them all with her green eyes. For as long as she could remember, the enchantress had always had a long, black tail like an eel.

"Juvia Lockster," she murmured. Her voice came from her mouth, but it also projected from the waves of the ocean so everyone could hear the melodic tones clearly. "I am very disappointed in you."

"Wh-why?" Juvia squeaked. "Juvia did what Meredy asked. She offered Duke Gray's blood to the ocean on the sword."

"No, _you_ didn't," Meredy said. She pointed on long finger at Gray, who was splayed with Lucy and Natsu on the sands of the beach. "_He_ did. Therefore you did not fulfill the terms of the agreement that Aquarius, Pisces, and Pisukesu made with me on your behalf. It is now terminated."

"No!" Juvia cried.

"I am afraid that I will have to defer to our original arrangement," Meredy continued, undeterred by Juvia's outburst. "It states that in the case you come in physical contact with the waters of the ocean, you are to be reverted back to your natural form and to remain my apprentice forever."

"Please, Meredy—"

Juvia's pleas were silenced by the enchantress, who waved her hand. Water enveloped Juvia and dragged her back into the ocean despite her struggling. Her fingers left scratches in the sand, but they were washed from existence just as quickly.

"Furthermore, the sacrificial bloodshed of Gray Fullbuster into my ocean using the swordfish blade places him at my complete disposal," said Meredy. Her mouth was set into a grim line, but her eyes sparked with a feverish excitement. "As such, I, Meredy, Enchantress of the Southern Sea, hereby sentence Gray Fullbuster, Duke of Hargeon Town, to death."

"To death?!" Gray cried, flabbergast. "What the hell? What'd I ever do to you, lady?!"

"You do not know how long I have waited for this day, Gray Fullbuster," Meredy said. "I have sought to terminate you for many years. The ordinance of the White Lady demands it. You are the cause of her great sorrow. By annihilating you, I am easing her of her pain and cleansing the world of a bringer of evil."

The three of them just stared at her. "What are you _talking_ about?" Natsu exclaimed. "Gray's a droopy-eyed pervert, but he's not evil."

"Hey!"

"What? I was sticking up for you."

Gray shook his head and turned back to the enchantress. "I don't even know what 'white lady' you're talking about, so I can't imagine what I did to cause her sorrow or pain."

"_The_ White Lady!" Meredy shrieked. "She is a goddess whom you have condemned! I've heard her speak of you, Gray Fullbuster. I am an enchantress; I can hear her voice in the tides. She talks of you and Lord Leon Vastia of the Ishval Mountains, and how you cause her pain."

"Leon, too?" Gray said. "Wait, did Ultear set you up to this? Because whatever she told you is a lie. You've been misguided."

"Lady Ultear Milkovich," said Meredy with a defiant jut of her chin, "has done nothing to hinder my mission. She has accommodated me during every phase, but, no, she did not plant the idea in my head. This mission was of my own design. I knew as soon as the princess fell in love with you, she was damned. She'd always been blasphemous, but this was a whole new level. For her, there is no redemption. I decided to use her to get to you, and, hopefully, Leon, although this did not happen. The laws of Atlantis prevent me from killing anyone without cause, but since you have been sacrificed to me, you are my property. And after I am through here with you, I shall dispose of the poor fool who sold herself to me for your adoration."

"Princess? Are you talking about Juvia?" Gray said, blinking. "Where is she? What have you done with her?!"

"Oh? Have you formed an attachment to the young princess after all, Gray Fullbuster?" Meredy asked, tilting her head to the side like a bird. She waved a hand again. "If it pleases you, I shall reveal her to you."

Juvia washed up on the shore, wet and defeated. Her dress was in shambles, barely covering enough of her to be decent. Her legs had fused together to form a long tail glittering with blue scales, translucent fins flopping uselessly in the sand. Her curled fingers were webbed, and she had gills on the sides of her neck, just under her ears. She moaned and her eyes fluttered open, focusing on Gray. Slowly she reached out her fingers to him.

"Juvia…you're a…a mermaid," Gray whispered, wide-eyed. He tried to crawl over to her, but Meredy stepped in front of him, planting her heel into his hand. Gray cried out and kicked at her. Swiftly she sprang out of the way, landing lithely beside Juvia. Gray punched his sore hand and prepared to shoot ice at her, but was afraid of hitting Juvia by mistake. He could feel Natsu and Lucy preparing to fight behind him, but they were obviously having the same dilemma.

"You know what, Gray Fullbuster?" Meredy said. "I think it is time for you to understand the sorrow and pain you've caused. Take this poor princess here. She fell for you, and you rejected her every caring gesture for another woman."

Meredy grabbed Juvia's wrist and closed her eyes, mumbling under her breath. Her hand glowed gently, and then there was a black tattoo across the mermaid's appendage. Gray felt a tingling in his wrist and looked down to see the same thing, a braided Celtic design with a heart in the middle.

"Wha—?"

He gasped, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught of pain that racked his body from head to toe. It was extreme physical anguish, like every bone in his body had been broken and reshaped, like he'd rolled around in glass. He crumpled to the ground, overwhelmed by it.

"Gray!" Lucy rushed over to him. She glared at Meredy. "What did you do?"

"He is experiencing the pain that Princess Juvia is in," Meredy explained. "He feels everything that she feels. The transformation process is extraordinarily agonizing."

Gray blinked, gasping for air. He was managing the physical duress, but there was something under it all, something sitting there dark and hard and cold as the pit of a peach. It was a layered canvass of sadness: panicked distress, crushing loneliness, stifling helplessness, crippling rejection, self-loathing, a pinch of jealousy, and at the heart of it all a pure, tragic love that wished it could curl up inside itself and disappear.

"You see, Gray Fullbuster?" Meredy sneered. "You feel the pain you cause?!"

Juvia's hand flicked out as Meredy stepped forward. She was able to move now that Gray was taking part of her burden. She grabbed Meredy's ankle and the enchantress went down onto the sand. "Natsu! Lucy!" she cried as she scrambled away the best she could, ducking into the shallow ocean.

The two sprang into action. Natsu pointed a finger at Meredy and shot flame. The enchantress screamed and joined Juvia in the water. Lucy grabbed a key. "_Open the Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!_" The serious, pink-haired maid appeared and drilled into the sand, popping out near Meredy and attacking her fiercely.

Meredy desperately clamped her hand around her own wrist, and under it appeared a black tattoo like Gray's and Juvia's. The latter screamed and cringed in renewed pain.

"Stop!" Lucy told Virgo. "Stop!"

"That's right," Meredy wheezed, trembling as she stood up. She was wet now, covered in sand. Her lip was bleeding. "They can feel everything that I am feeling. Causing me pain does no good; I am an expert at pain. Now, you two, stay out of this. I do not want to have to find an excuse to terminate you as well."

"We're not going to let you kill Gray or Juvia!" Natsu declared.

Meredy sneered. "What are you going to do to stop me? If you continue to attack me, one of them will die from the pain. In fact, if you come any closer or interfere"—she drew a dagger from her boot and pressed it to her throat—"I will kill us all."

"No!" Lucy shrieked. "You wouldn't!"

"I will do anything necessary to fulfill my mandate," Meredy said.

Gray and Juvia could feel the truth in her words. Meredy was prepared to do anything, even commit suicide, if it meant serving the entity she had worshipped for so long. "Lucy," Juvia moaned. "Natsu. Don't…fight her. Go."

Gray experienced the selfless concern Juvia felt—she was not worried about her safety, but for his own. He was touched, and something wiggled awake inside of him. He felt like he was at the threshold of an epiphany, but a barrier was holding him back. He grasped at it, but it was like trying to catch a cloud.

"We're not leaving," Natsu repeated stubbornly. Lucy nodded beside him, crossing her arms and planting her feet in the sand. They weren't going anywhere.

"Then prepare to watch." Meredy raised the knife.

Horror. It shot through him, and he knew it was a combination of both him and Juvia. They could do nothing to stop her. But there was something Gray could do, something he needed to do. "Juvia," he said, "where you the one who saved me that day on the boat?"

She didn't answer aloud. She didn't have to. The rush of emotions he felt—surprise, acceptance, hope—said everything for her.

And in that second, something broke inside of Gray. A dam burst, and the memories came flooding back to him; the true memories, ones unhampered by Ultear. The pale, webbed hands reaching for him; the dark eyes blinking at him inquisitively; the sharp motion of a fast-moving tail; swirling blue hair. Juvia. Juvia was the one who saved him. Juvia was the one whom he owed his life to.

Juvia was the one he loved.

The memories progressed: her naked body on the beach, her pale fingers brushing the cut on his forehead, dark eyes blinking at him in curiosity and admiration, a damp lock of hair stuck to her cheek from the rain, the red hue of her feverish blush, her elated, goofy smile. Things he'd noted but willfully ignored because of his artificial obsession with Lucy.

Juvia gasped, her eyes growing wide as she witnessed the upheaval of emotion. Her own consciousness responded in kind, hurling back at Gray all that she felt. The connection went back and forth like electricity across a wire.

The knife froze.

Meredy had stopped, her hands trembling. She could barely see anything. She had never experienced such a powerful transaction. The love these two shared in the short period of time was enough to fill the entire ocean, spanning as wide and as deep. It washed over her like a warm rain, penetrating her stony exterior and obliterating it in the process. Meredy fell to her knees, dropping the knife in defeat. She could not kill this.

Natsu and Lucy glanced at each other, confused and excluded. Lucy rushed forward and took the knife from Meredy. Natsu held her arms, but she gave no resistance. The tattoo faded from her wrist and from Gray's and Juvia's.

"I am sorry, my Lady," she whispered, closing her eyes against tears. "I cannot do it. I cannot end your sorrow."

Gray struggled into sitting position, emerging from Meredy's spell. He glared at her. "So you're not going to kill us?"

"No."

"What about Juvia? You're going to return her to her original form, aren't you?"

"I am afraid I cannot, Gray Fullbuster," said Meredy. "Juvia made a deal with me. I can free you, since you are at my disposal, but Juvia has come in contact with ocean water before convincing you to love her, therefore she is destined for eternal servitude."

"Just make the deal again!" Gray cried. "She'll be free."

Meredy shook her head. "She cannot make the same deal twice. Last time she offered her magic abilities, and agreed to be cursed with constant rain. Her siblings have offered their services for the swordfish blade. In order to maintain balance between land and sea, there must be an exchange of equal measure, but Juvia has nothing else to give."

"I can give something," Gray said. "I can make a deal with you!"

"What do you have that I could want?"

"I…" Gray stopped. What did he have? He could offer up his ice exhibitionist abilities, but he needed that in order to protect his town. Perhaps Leon could take over for him. He grimaced at the idea, but there was no other alternative. "I'll give you my ice magic."

But Meredy was shaking her head. "That's not enough to make up for Juvia's debt. She agreed to a life of servitude."

"That's not fair! It isn't her fault!"

"She made the deal," Meredy shrugged. "She took the risk. She must pay the debt."

"Can't someone else pay it for her?"

"Yes, but who would do that? Not you. She would never agree to it. Is the blonde one going to pay it for her?" Meredy nodded over to Lucy. "Or the man there? Perhaps you're suggesting I trade her for the exotic cat?"

Gray was silent. He knew she was right. No one would trade places with Juvia. And even if they offered, she would never let them sacrifice their freedom for her happiness.

"What about me?"

Ultear stepped out from behind a sand dune. Gone was her usual devilishness. She seemed almost vulnerable as she walked toward the scene, her black hair falling over her shoulder, her face pale in the moonlight.

"Ultear," Meredy breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was watching," Ultear replied, looking around at the others. "You couldn't kill my brother or this mermaid. I can only assume that they love each other too much for you to do it."

"Yes."

Ultear nodded slowly. "I've thought for a long time. Since I've met you, actually. It didn't occur to me until we met that I was so universally unaccepted by everyone because of my manners. Well, it did occur to me, but I just never cared. I still don't, not really. But it's a lonely life, not belonging anywhere. I think that's why I am the way I am.

"And then I saw you, Meredy, and I spoke to you, and you've made me feel like I belong. You seem to understand me unlike most. You see every corner of me: the good and the bad. You accept me. I told you my plans to use my brother for power, and you didn't scorn me for it. You didn't judge me. I realized tonight as I watched my plan fail that perhaps it is with you where I belong.

"I am offering to take Juvia Lockster's place as your apprentice," Ultear concluded, nodding to the beached mermaid. "If you consent to switch our bodily forms, I will pay her debt. And I think you'll find that my powers are much more versatile than hers, so for additional compensation I request that her siblings are freed as well."

Everyone was speechless. Manipulative, conniving, self-absorbed Ultear was doing something...good? Generous? It was so completely out of character that no one could grasp it. Though, it seemed she was focused more on her own comfort than the fate of Juvia.

Meredy was the first to recover. She blinked and nodded, coming off the ground. "I…I will consent to the majority of this deal. I cannot necessarily 'free' the princess's siblings, since they are bound by a curse that is not of my own making, but I can return them to her to thrive on the land."

"Very well. I accept these terms."

"Juvia?"

The mermaid nodded, still tongue-tied from shock.

Meredy grinned. It made her look more like an amiable child. "Very well. Lady Ultear Milkovich of Earthland agrees to manage the debt left by Juvia Lockster, Princess of Atlantis, to Enchantress Meredy of the Southern Sea, by exchanging her legs for fins and fulfilling a life of apprenticeship. The two golden Zodiac keys of Aquarius and Pisces shall also be exchanged to even the power gap between Lady Milkovich and Princess Lockster."

The three women began to glow. Black tattoos rippled across their skin. Ultear reached her arms toward the ocean and smiled as a wave crashed down on her and carried her into its depths. Gray gaped at the footprints she left behind. He felt a pang of gratitude and, surprisingly, of loss.

He turned his attention to Juvia. The gills on her neck were sealing shut. The webs between her fingers retracted like claws. The scales on her legs did the same as her fins metamorphosed into feet and the tail split into two legs. Luckily she was still wearing her tattered navy dress.

Meredy opened her eyes when all the black tattoos disappeared and they ceased to glow. She reached into her pocket and pulled out two golden keys, which she handed to Gray. "Ensure that Juvia gets these," she told him.

"Wait…" Juvia's eyes fluttered open. "Juvia's…father…"

"Don't worry about King Lock," Meredy assured. "I will take care of him. He will not bother you."

She sighed and closed her eyes.

"She will be exhausted," Meredy told Gray. "Two transformations in one day is extremely draining. Make sure she gets plenty of rest."

"I will." Gray frowned. "What about Ultear?"

"She is happy," Meredy answered with a small smile. "_We_ are happy. You do not need to worry about her. She is a mermaid now, and will be a powerful enchantress. I will not misuse her. I have admired her for a long time."

"Thank you," Gray said.

"I did not do any of this for you," Meredy retorted. With that she turned and walked into the ocean, becoming part of it once again.

Gray crawled over to Juvia and pulled her away from the water. She was unconscious but smiling her goofy smile. That was a good sign.

Natsu started forward, but Lucy grabbed his arm and held him back. "What are you doing? Shouldn't we see if she's okay?" he asked her.

"Just wait," Lucy whispered.

"For what?"

Lucy watched anxiously as Gray examined Juvia for a moment. Then he took her into his arms and hoisted her out of the sand, carrying her back to Exhibitionist Castle. Disappointed, she slumped. "Well. It looks like they won't kiss for some time yet."

"Why did you want to watch them kiss, Lucy?" Natsu asked incredulously.

"That's gross," Happy agreed. "Pervert."

"I am not a pervert! I just didn't want Natsu to ruin the moment!"

"There wasn't a moment to ruin, obviously."

"There could've been!"'

"C'mon," Natsu chuckled, grabbing her hand. "Let's go tell the others."

Lucy blushed as his warm fingers curled around her own. But she returned the gesture.


	84. Rainbow

**Author's Note:**_ So, yes, this is the end of the Little Mermaid arc. I think everyone was just about done with it, although it seemed like you guys overall enjoyed the last chapter. I wasn't entirely sure you would. It was iffy. And for those of you who are wondering if this story is ever going to end, yes, it will. I have three more fairy tales planned, and they're not quite as long as the earlier ones. Approximately twenty-five to thirty chapters are left. But that's just a rough estimate._

_I commend you for sticking with it for this long. Honestly, I never expected it to exceed fifty chapters. You guys rock._

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><p><strong>LXXXIV: Rainbow<strong>

"Maybe it was a mistake to get married here," Evergreen huffed, tugging at her long wavy tresses irritably. "The weather has been so weird…I mean, I knew the coast gets a lot of rain, but I never expected it to be this much…"

"Ever."

"I just thought that a beach wedding would be nice, you know? Like a fairy tale. Especially in the winter, where it's so cold everywhere else…and we certainly can't have our wedding in the spring now, because I am _not_ going to be the last Raijinshuu married. I'm especially not getting married after _Bixlow_."

"Ever."

"Maybe it's a sign," Evergreen continued. She gasped and turned around, horrified. "What if this means we shouldn't get married at all, Elfman? What if the rain is a _sign_?!"

Elfman grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Evergreen! We're getting married. Soon. Possibly tomorrow."

"Haven't you been listening?" Evergreen snapped. "We can't get married so soon! It's been raining nonstop for a week—what are you _doing_?"

Elfman pulled her out of her chair and led her over to the window. He pulled back the curtain and stepped aside so she could assess the weather. Evergreen gaped as pure sunlight poured into their room, unfiltered by clouds. The sky was a vast blue.

"See? It's not a sign. It was just unmanly," he determined.

"Elfman! Why didn't you mention this sooner?!"

"I tried—"

"Nevermind." Evergreen wheeled around, eyes bright with excitement. "We're not waiting until tomorrow, Elfman. We're getting married today."

* * *

><p>The news spread quickly that Evergreen wanted the ceremony conducted by that afternoon. The Strauss sisters were horrified when their brother told them. "You mean we have to put together the entire thing in less than four hours, <em>and<em> meet Evergreen's standards?" Lisanna shrieked. "I don't know if that's possible!"

"Well, it will be a miracle, but it's one we're going to attempt," Mirajane decreed. She jutted out her chin and began issuing orders like a general in battle. Within seconds, the entire castle was in a state of frantic disarray as everyone tried to fulfill their designated tasks at once. The queen sat down, suddenly exhausted.

"Anything I can get you, Mira?" Lisanna inquired, noticing her sister's fatigue as she carried Evergreen's wedding dress to the bride-to-be.

"No, just resting for a moment," Mirajane replied. "Oh, wait! Lisanna, have you seen my husband? I haven't spotted him since this morning."

"Fried? I don't know, haven't seen him either. Maybe Bixlow knows where he is."

"Alright. Well, thanks anyway."

The king found her dozing off in the same spot five minutes later. He smiled and gently touched her shoulder. Mira's blue eyes fluttered open, blinking when they focused on Fried. "I heard you were looking for me?" he said.

"Oh, yes. I just hadn't seen you all morning, and I was rather anxious that Bixlow managed to drag you and Elfman off for a bachelor party," Mira confided. "I shudder to think what Evergreen would do if her groom, the best man, and the king conducting the ceremony all showed up drunk. Or worse, didn't show up at all."

"You know I wouldn't let that happen. Besides, I'm pretty sure you could take her," Fried said with a wink. "No, I was in the infirmary all morning."

"Are you alright?" Mira asked, suddenly alarmed.

"I'm fine. I was visiting Miss Lockster."

"Juvia's hurt again?"

Fried gave a weary sigh. "Not exactly. It's a rather long story."

"I've got nothing but time," Mirajane said, gesturing around her. "It's not like I can really help without getting in the way."

Fried, glancing around at the chaos, reluctantly relayed what happened. Or what Gray told him happened. He had a gnawing feeling that the duke was leaving something out of his unlikely story, but after much consideration decided not to press the issue. It seemed like he was withholding personal information, and that was none of Fried's business.

Gray sent the nurse to Fried's chambers in the early morning, just after Mirajane had left for breakfast. When he arrived to the infirmary, Juvia was in a cot, unconscious, surrounded by Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. Gray and his foster-brother, Lord Leon Vastia, were off to the side, looking very pale.

By that time Gray had already informed Leon of the events at the beach and of Ultear's decision. He'd rightly decided that Leon needed to know before anyone else, since they were both related to Ultear. He didn't know how Leon was going to react, but he was surprised when his foster-brother almost seemed…proud.

"I knew she couldn't be all bad," he remarked with a sigh.

"She wasn't bad," Gray said. "Not really. She was just miserable. I think she'll be happier this way. I don't know why, I just…know."

"I hate to admit it, but part of me is going to miss her."

"Yeah. Me, too."

Leon left when Fried arrived. Gray sat the king down in a chair and told him everything. He described what he knew of Atlantis, mermaids, Juvia, Meredy, the curse, the part Ultear played, and everything that transpired on the beach. The only things he left out were Lucy's true identity—it wasn't his secret to tell, although he had the feeling that Fried already knew or suspected—and what he'd experienced through Meredy's strange spell. Juvia's emotions had touched him deeply, too deeply to report, and he felt ashamed at his own tangled feelings in comparison to her direct, pure, purposeful love. He could feel the _rightness_ in his affection for Juvia, but there were still times when he glanced at Lucy and his heart stopped. He knew that it would take time to repair the psychological damage that Ultear had done to his head.

That wasn't anything Fried needed to know.

In exchange for all this shocking information, Fried told them that Evergreen had moved the wedding up to that very afternoon. Lucy, Natsu, and Happy, upon hearing this news, decided to get some sleep and dress for the event since there was nothing they could do for their unconscious friend. "Make sure you tell us when she wakes up," Lucy demanded of Gray. He nodded and the trio departed with Fried, leaving him and Juvia alone in the infirmary.

As he sat by her bed, Gray wondered if he was going to miss the wedding of one of his best friends for this woman. It didn't seem fair. He had known Elfman for years, and yet this woman whom he'd not known existed a week ago was monopolizing his attention. He couldn't blame her, of course—it wasn't like she was doing it intentionally. She would probably understand if he got up right then and went to get cleaned up and dressed. But Gray couldn't stand the thought of Juvia waking up to an empty room.

He battled with himself for a while, finally coming to the conclusion that if Juvia hadn't awoke by noon, he would order the nurse to wash and dress her and then he would carry her to the reception. "That's perfectly logical," he muttered, dragging a hand across his face. "Please wake up, Juvia."

Gray almost expected it to work.

It didn't.

It was close enough to midday that Gray was seriously considering commencing with his foolhardy plan when Juvia finally mumbled something and shifted under the sheets, her eyes slowly cracking open. "Duke Gray?" she murmured.

"Yeah, it's me," he said.

"What…where is Juvia?"

"The infirmary. You fainted after everything that happened. Do you remember anything?"

Juvia blushed. "Mostly. Juvia is…human, now. For good, yes?"

"Yes. Ultear, my foster-sister, was in on it with Meredy and…I don't know, decided that she liked her company enough to trade places with you. She's a mermaid now, and you're human. Meredy also said she'd take care of everything with your father. Oh, and she gave me these for you." He took out the golden keys and placed them in Juvia's hand.

Juvia closed her eyes and pressed the keys against her lips, smiling. "Juvia's siblings. Thank you. Juvia is glad to know they are safe." She looked up at him. "So…what happens now, Duke Gray?"

"Well, first we're going to get you recovered," he said. "And then you're welcome to stay in Exhibitionist Castle until you know what you want to do—"

"That is not what Juvia meant, Duke Gray."

"…Yeah, I know." Gray sighed. "Look…I just…need time, Juvia. Ultear messed with my head pretty good. I need to figure out what she planted in there and what's real. I can't expect you to wait for me while I do that."

Juvia smiled and reached out, brushing his fingers. "Juvia is patient. She will wait for however long Duke Gray needs. In the meantime, he can teach her about the surface world so she can live here."

"Well, then why don't you tell me what you know about weddings?"

"Weddings?" Juvia gasped, her face growing brilliantly red. "Oh, dear, Duke Gray, this is all so sudden—Juvia never expected that Duke Gray would make his decision so quickly—"

"No! No, not _our_ wedding!" Gray cried. "Didn't I just tell you I needed time?!"

"Juvia's apologies."

"Elfman and Evergreen are getting married in about…two hours," Gray said, peering at the clock. "I figured you'd probably want to go."

"Of course!" Juvia said brightly. "But…what about all the rain?"

Gray grinned and walked over to the window, sweeping back the curtain so sunlight streamed into the room. "What rain?"

Juvia was silent. She sat up and slowly swept the blankets off of her legs, placing her feet in the square of sunlight on the floor. She wiggled her toes. "Oh," she whispered. "Oh, it's wonderful."

After the nurse determined that Juvia was healthy enough to attend the wedding, Gray escorted her to Lucy's room and grinned when the blonde opened the door, shrieked, and threw her arms around Juvia without any restraint. "You're awake! I'm so glad to see you're okay!"

"Yes, Juvia is glad to see Lucy as well," Juvia laughed.

"I was just getting ready for the wedding—Gray told you about that, didn't he? We've got to get you all dolled up!" Lucy turned to the duke and shooed him away. "Go on, I've got a lot of work to do. And so do you."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're not wearing a shirt."

"Damn it, how does this keep _happening_?!"

Lucy pulled Juvia inside and closed the door as Gray stalked down the corridor, hunting for his missing shirt. She heaved a sigh. "Look, Juvia, about everything that happened—"

"There is nothing to discuss," Juvia interrupted. "It was all a mess. The important thing is that it all worked out for the better, right?"

"Right," Lucy agreed.

"Um…Juvia does have a question."

"Yes?"

"What is Sir Cancer doing here?" Juvia pointed to the crab man standing in the back of the room, periodically snipping his scissors.

"Oh, he's helping me get ready for the wedding. I'm sure he'll help you too, right, Cancer?"

"Of course," Cancer replied. "You have beautiful blue locks, ebi."

Juvia stared the gold and silver keys on Lucy's key ring on her waist. "Does…does Sir Cancer enjoy being Lucy's spirit?" she asked him, tearing her eyes away from the keys to observe his reaction.

"Yes, very much," he said sincerely. "She's one of the best owners I've ever had."

Lucy blushed. "Oh, I wouldn't go that far. I don't really _own_ Cancer, per se. We're partners. We have a contract."

Juvia took a deep breath and reached into her pocket. She took out two golden Zodiac keys. "Lucy, Juvia's siblings are trapped in these keys," she said. "Juvia's father was once their owner, but then they made a deal with Meredy, who gave them back to Juvia. Juvia…would like Lucy to take these keys with her."

"What? No, I can't do that!"

"Please, Juvia insists." She placed the keys in Lucy's palm, closing her fingers around them. "Juvia cannot make them happy. Her siblings will enjoy travel and adventure, and Juvia cannot give them that. She is going to stay at Exhibitionist Castle with Duke Gray. It is her wish that Lucy takes care of her siblings."

"I…I'm honored, Juvia," Lucy whispered. "I'll take great care of them."

"Thank you."

"But I think that we should talk about it with them first," Lucy continued. She turned to Cancer. "Do you mind if we do this later?"

"Not at all, ebi." Cancer faded away.

Lucy took a key and handed the other one to Juvia. "You know how to summon them, right?" she asked. Juvia nodded. "Open, the Gate of the Water-Bearer! Aquarius!"

"Open, the Gate of the Paired Fish! Pisces!"

Three merpeople popped up. They all looked very confused and very relieved to see Juvia, who introduced them to Lucy after explaining everything that had transpired on the beach. "Lucy, this is Aquarius, Pisces, and her son, Pisukesu. Everyone, this is my friend, Lucy. She's a Celestial mage. I think that you'll be very happy under her care."

"Wait. You're giving us away?!" Aquarius exclaimed. "After everything we've done for you? After all the sacrifices we made?"

"Of course not," Juvia said. "Juvia is just offering you the opportunity to travel with Lucy, who will know how to use Aquarius and Pisces properly."

"I don't want to be _used_!" Aquarius snarled. "I'm not a tool, Juvia!"

"I won't use you like a tool," Lucy interjected. "We'll have a contract. We'll be partners. Friends, I'd like to think."

"What makes you think I want to be friends with the likes of you?" the feisty mermaid snapped.

"That's enough, Aquarius," said Pisces. "We're not going to be rude. I for one wouldn't mind seeing more of land. I've always been curious what was above the sea. What do you think, Pisukesu?"

"It sounds like an adventure," said the merman. "Things can get pretty boring in the Celestial Spirit world."

"We'll accept your offer then, Lucy," Pisces decided. She glanced at Aquarius, who crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I'm glad. We'll have a lot of fun," Lucy said. "I'm sure you'll like my other Spirits."

"Other Spirits?" Aquarius said. "What other Spirits?"

"Well, let's see…there's Lyra the Lyre, Plue the White Dog, Hologorium the Clock, Cancer the Giant Crab, Leo the Lion, Aries the Ram, Gemini the Twins, Virgo the Maiden…oh, yes, and Scorpio the Scorpion. Now that I think about it, he did mention something about his girlfriend—"

"YES!" Aquarius cried. She cleared her throat when the others raised their eyebrows at her enthusiasm. "I _guess_ I'll make a contract with you, I mean."

"Great," Lucy said, grinning. She made a contract with them, and then summoned Cancer to finish doing her and Juvia's hair. Natsu barged in thirty minutes before the wedding while they were still getting ready, only to be assaulted by two angry, half-dressed women.

"When will you learn to knock, you stupid idiot?!"

"Oh, Juvia's body has been compromised by Sir Natsu's eyes! She is no longer pure for Duke Gray! What is she going to do?!"

"I'll just…go…" Natsu mumbled wisely, nursing two hand-shaped welts on his cheek as he closed the door behind him. "Just hurry up! It's almost time."

Not two minutes later, Gray burst in their room rambling something and was greeted similarly.

"Are you kidding me?!" Lucy screeched. "I don't even care that it's your castle, you still need to knock on your guests' doors!"

Juvia was rendered speechless by the fact that Gray had just seen her half-naked—even though he'd seen her completely naked before—and that she had reflexively slapped him for it.

Gray closed the door behind him without a word, and turned to scowl at Natsu and Happy, who were guffawing behind his back. "You set me up!" he accused, boasting an injury identical to the Fire Dragonslayer's. "You told me Juvia fainted again! Damn it, I should have known!"

"I—I don't know what you're t-talking about," Natsu gasped between laughs. "She must have recovered pretty fast!"

Gray roared and tackled him to the ground, where they wrestled until Lucy's door opened. They froze at the sight of the two women. Lucy was in her green sundress, her hair styled in gentle blonde curls. Juvia wore an indigo dress with pearly buttons down the front and a white straw sunhat over her blue waves.

"Idiots," Lucy scoffed as Gray and Natsu untangled themselves and brushed dirt off of their suits.

"Tell me about it," Happy sighed, shaking his head. The two men glared at him murderously. He whistled and skipped ahead, placing the girls between them.

There was an awkward silence as they all walked down the corridor. Gray glanced at Juvia and cleared his throat. "Um…Juvia…you look really nice."

"Duke Gray really thinks so?!"

"Yeah."

"Duke Gray looks magnificent in a suit! Well, Duke Gray looks magnificent in anything, but he looks especially magnificent in a suit!"

"Bet he wouldn't look magnificent with my fist in his face," Natsu grumbled.

"What was that, flame-brain?"

"You heard me, droopy-eyes!"

Suddenly their heads were rammed together. Everyone turned to see Erza and Jellal. "No fighting today, gentlemen," the Titania commanded. "It's a day to celebrate the union of Elfman and Evergreen."

"If you don't think that includes fighting, you've got another thing coming," Natsu muttered, flinching when Erza narrowed her eyes.

"How did you sneak up on us like that…?" Gray wondered, awed. Suddenly everyone realized what Erza was wearing—a monstrosity of green silk, ruffles, and bows.

"Laugh," she said dangerously, "and I will cut off your toes."

"Don't be like that, Erza," Jellal chuckled. "You should be honored to be a bridesmaid."

"I am," Erza said. "However, I am not honored to wear this hideous _thing_. Evergreen has no fashion sense. I will see this dress burned when the wedding is over, and I will take supreme pleasure in it. Now come. We're running late."

"Do you know why they wanted the wedding this afternoon?" Lucy asked her as they walked quickly down the corridor. "I mean, I know because of the rain, but surely it'll be over for at least a couple of days." She knew for a fact that it was the case—the rain was caused by Juvia's curse, which was broken.

"You mean you haven't seen it yet?" Erza said, surprised.

"Seen what?"

Erza only replied with a smile as they reached the doors. She threw them open and pointed up at the sky, where a giant, vivid rainbow stretched from horizon to horizon, over the white decorations of the wedding ceremony. The group gave a collective gasp.

"The rain did this?" Juvia whispered.

"Yes," Erza confirmed. "As soon as Evergreen saw it, she wanted everything done before it went away. I figured it would be gone by now, but by some miracle it's still here."

"A miracle," Gray agreed. Juvia glanced at him and blushed.

They marched across the sand and took their seats, parting with Erza, who had to walk down the aisle and throw rose petals. "She's not even a bridesmaid," Natsu chortled. "She's a flower girl."

"Don't tell her that," Jellal warned. "I managed to convince her that she's a special category of bridesmaid and that she isn't doing what's usually reserved for children."

Elfman stood nervously at the front, fidgeting with his bow tie, obviously trying not to sneeze. There were an absurd amount of pristine white lilies surrounding him. There was a flower or bow on every surface. Sitting in the rows of chairs was almost like floating in a strange cloud.

A live orchestra began playing soft music. Fried and Mirajane walked down the aisle, Mira in her atrocious bridesmaid dress and Fried in a white robe. He parted from her and walked up behind a pedestal, where he would conduct the ceremony. Next came Lisanna and Bixlow, who was dressed in a white suit—and his mask, of course—instead of robes. Lastly Erza walked down the aisle, tossing pale pink rose petals out of a basket with mild enthusiasm.

The tune changed, and everyone rose to get a look at Evergreen. Lisanna hadn't lied when she said that Evergreen's dress was over the top. It looked like a bridal shop puked on the love child of a cotton ball and a small mountain. But it suited Evergreen's equally overwhelming personality, and Elfman certainly thought she looked nice, because he exclaimed, "Wow!" much to the audience's amusement. Evergreen couldn't even be upset at his outburst. The wedding was more than she could hope for. It went along smoothly, with the exception of Bixlow pretending he'd lost the rings, which was such a stressful moment for everyone in attendance that you could have cut the tension with a knife.

"Found 'em!" he called, pulling them out of his pocket. Fried took them with a little too much force, resisting the urge to scowl.

The couple said their vows, which were short and (somewhat) sweet. Fried swept his arms into the air. "By the power vested in me as King of Fiore, I now pronounce you husband and wife! Elfman, you may kiss the bride!"

That was a mistake. It would take weeks for everyone's mental scarring to heal.

The audience awkwardly clapped when the newlyweds eventually came up for air and walked down the aisle, waving and grinning.

"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Lucy sniffed, wiping away her tears. "Weddings are just so beautiful!"

"I still don't understand why you're crying!"

"Shut up! You're not going to understand, Natsu, just deal with it and let me bask in the moment!"

"Duke Gray," Juvia said, "can we also get married on the beach?"

"What the—I haven't even proposed to you! Don't start talking about marriage!"

"Wait, does that mean that Duke Gray is going to propose to Juvia eventually?!"

Jellal shook his head at them, smirking as he listened to their conversation. Then he paused and turned around, scanning the surface of the ocean. Was it just his imagination, or did it feel like someone was…watching him? Shrugging, he turned back around as Erza said his name. Probably just his imagination.

A few yards away, Ultear and Meredy poked their heads back above the surface of the water. "So?" the latter said, addressing her new companion as they watched the proceedings. "What do you think? Are you going to miss it?"

"Perhaps a little," Ultear sighed.

"You know you can't come up here very often."

"Yes, I know. I won't. I don't need to. Gray and Leon can both manage without me, and I them. And other than Jellal, I didn't have friends. But he'll understand." Ultear looked at Meredy and smiled. "Now I have you, so it's of little consequence."

Meredy seemed pleased, a faint pink hue dusting her cheeks. "I'm eager to begin your instruction. It usually takes longer for people to hear the Lady's voice. You're going to make a fantastic enchantress."

"I hope so," Ultear said. They dived into the ocean and she closed her eyes. She could hear it, too, a soft murmur in the back of her mind, a gentle caress in her ear. A sound she yearned to hear since she was a little girl, though she refused to admit it until this very moment.

Her mother's voice. Ur.


	85. Fair Trade

**Author's Note:** _Onward with the next arc! The first part of this fairy tale is pretty obvious from the beginning, but it's actually two fairy tales mashed into one. I'm wondering if anyone will be able to guess the second. Feel free to try. :) And yes. NaLu fluff included. It's a complete part of a balanced breakfast._

* * *

><p><strong>LXXXV: Fair Trade<strong>

"You're leaving already?"

Lucy turned to see a disappointed Levy eying her backpack. Behind her stood Gajeel, Mirajane, Lisanna, Fried, Bixlow, Erza, Jellal, Gray, Juvia, Leon, Sherry, Chelia, Warren and virtually every other person Lucy knew, minus the newly married Elfman and Evergreen, who were honeymooning on a different, less crowded beach.

"Afraid so," Lucy confirmed. "I wish we could stay longer, but Natsu agreed to hike up to Onibus with Gildarts. Probably so he wouldn't have to ride a carriage. He just gets so motion sick."

"That's nothin' to laugh about," Gajeel warned. "It's a serious condition."

"Anyway," Lucy continued, "Gildarts is leaving today so he can make it to his daughter's birthday. We're going to stay for the party and then move on to Acalypha."

"Oh, you'll get to meet Cana!" Lisanna chuckled. "You'll like her."

"It's a shame you have to leave so soon," Erza sighed. "But fare well on your journey, Lucy. I'm sure we'll cross paths again."

"Thank you, Erza, I'm sure we will. And thank you for having us, Gray. It was an honor to stay in Exhibitionist Castle."

"Come visit anytime, Lucy. Not Natsu. He can stay at home."

Someone tackled her suddenly, nearly knocking her to the ground. "Juvia is going to miss Lucy so much!"

"I'll miss you, too, Juvia," she assured. "And I'll take good care of Aquarius and Pisces."

"Oi! Luce, we're ready to go!" Natsu called from behind her. She nodded and turned back to her friends, giving the closest a few hugs. She waved as she walked to the door.

"Goodbye, everybody!"

"Bye, Lucy!" they cheered, waving after her.

Natsu was shaking his head at her outside. He hoisted his pack over his shoulder and matched her pace, walking through the sandy courtyard of Exhibitionist with her and Gildarts, who was waving to Goldmine.

"Jeez. It's like they think you're a celebrity or something," he muttered.

"Well, isn't she?" Gildarts remarked, grinning. "You are Queen Layla's daughter, right?"

"What?!" Natsu, Happy, and Lucy all sputtered, flabbergast. "How did you—?"

"Oh, I was around when she was Queen," he explained. "Good ruler. Great woman. That King Jude was one lucky man. You're her spitting image, Lucy, and I can only assume that you're going to reunite with your father since you're headed to Acalypha. Whatever happened to you? I remember the day you were born and abducted by Sir Jose Porla—I've never seen a nation in such distress."

"Well…it's kind of a long story," Lucy admitted, sharing an uneasy glance with Natsu. Gildarts seemed a nice enough guy, but how much could she really trust him?

Gildarts gestured around him. "We've got all the time in the world. It'll take us at least two days to reach Onibus from here."

"Two days?!" Lucy cried. She glared at Natsu, who shrank. "You didn't say we had to camp out again!"

"It's not like we're going through the East Forest this time, Luce," Natsu said. "We're not going to get attacked by wolves."

"Oh, please! The wolves are the least of my worries!"

"Actually, there is a small part through the East Forest," Gildarts interrupted. "But I've trekked through it plenty of times. There aren't wolves or…any other surprises."

"Once you hang around with _him_ long enough," Lucy snarled, jabbing a thumb at Natsu, "you start to realize that surprises follow him around. Especially when the East Forest is involved!"

"Excuse me, but none of this weird stuff started happening until I met you!"

"Oh, so it's my fault that you ignored my warning about the metal castle? And it's my fault that we got lost in the East Forest and ended up in a hidden woodland resort?"

"Are they like this all the time?" Gildarts murmured to Happy while the other two bickered back and forth.

"This is my life," the cat sighed, shrugging.

"They squabble like an old married couple. In fact…hey, Lucy, didn't you catch the bouquet when Evergreen threw it?"

The blonde froze in the middle of her sentence, immediately coloring. Natsu looked back and forth between them, confused. "Huh? What bouquet?"

"Y-yes, I caught it, but that doesn't really _mean_ anything," Lucy sniffed. "It's just a silly old tradition."

"What tradition? I'm lost."

"The idea is that the bride throws her bouquet behind her, and the girl who catches it will be the next one to get married," Gildarts explained. "Lucy caught it when Evergreen threw it."

"What?! Lucy, you're getting married?!"

"No! I'm not! Like I said, it's just a silly old tradition! Everyone knows that Lisanna and Bixlow are getting married in the spring, and there's no way I'm getting married before that."

"Well, if you were to get married, who'd be your first pick?" Gildarts asked slyly, wiggling his eyebrows.

Lucy turned an impossible shade of red.

"Oh, that much is obvious," Happy snorted.

"It is?" Natsu blinked.

"Shut up, all of you!" Lucy stormed ahead, pointedly ignoring the three of them. Gildarts and Happy dissolved into laughter, but Natsu was just as clueless as ever.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Oh, you poor, poor boy," Gildarts snickered, throwing an arm around the Dragonslayer's shoulders. "You both got it so bad and you don't even realize it!"

"Got what? What the hell are you talking about?!"

* * *

><p>They walked until sundown. Lucy stomped ahead, silent and fuming, while Natsu and Gildarts exchanged marvelous tales. The ocean fell behind them and with it the warmth. The temperature drop wasn't enormous, but it was noticeable. Gildarts warned them that the night would grow even chillier. "It is still winter out here in the real world, after all," he said.<p>

Once they reached the tree line, Gildarts told them it was time to make camp. "We're a little more than halfway," he said. "This is a good stopping point. If we keep up this pace, we should be in Onibus by tomorrow evening."

"When's your daughter's birthday?" Natsu asked as they dropped their packs and began to gather wood for a fire.

"Cana turns nineteen in a week," Gildarts cooed, gleaming with paternal pride. "She's a real sweetheart, you're gonna adore her."

"That gives us time to do some shows and replenish our income, right, Luce?"

Lucy, enticed by the sandwiches that Gildarts was pulling out of his backpack, crept into the circle around the growing woodpile and promptly decided to forgive them for their earlier rudeness. "Yes, that's a good idea. We're running a little short on money, even though we did a few shows in Hargeon."

"Well, you're welcome to do as many fireworks as you'd like, and you can stay at Cornelia Castle free of charge."

"That would be great, Gildarts, thanks."

He winked at her. "Anything for a beautiful woman."

Natsu suddenly sneezed and fire blossomed from his mouth, dramatically igniting the giant woodpile and nearly catching Gildarts's cloak on fire. "My bad," the Dragonslayer said.

They ate their sandwiches around the warm fire and, exhausted by the long walk, decided to go to sleep. Gildarts volunteered to take first watch.

Lucy laid out her bedroll and fell on it, fatigue creeping up on her. She could hear Happy trying to convince Natsu to give him the pillow. Smiling, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

When she opened them again, it was because a loud droning noise had irritated her to the point of waking up. Within inches of her face lay Gildarts, snoring up a storm, one hand placed firmly on her buttock.

With a bloodcurdling shriek she scrambled out of the bedroll, pausing to catch her breath once she was safely out of his reach. It hadn't fazed him—he was still sleeping, splayed out across the thin mattress with utter abandon.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" Natsu peered at her from the other side of the camp with concern.

"G-Gildarts was in my bedroll!" she hissed, crawling over to the fire and sitting beside him. "He had his hand on my ass!"

"Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you. He didn't bring one so I said he could crawl in with you."

"You _what_?!"

"Yeah, well, he said he's allergic to cats so he couldn't share with Happy…"

Lucy punched his arm. "Natsu, you're such an idiot!"

"Ow! Why'd you do that?! I was just trying to be nice!"

"Yeah, _too_ nice!"

They sat in silence and watched the fire crackle. Lucy followed the trail of smoke up to the clear, starry sky with her eyes, absently wondering what happened when it reached the atmosphere. She looked over at Natsu, who had his eyes closed. She poked him and he opened one.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were asleep."

"No, I was just listening."

"To what?"

"The forest." He closed his eyes again, lying back on the grass. "It reminds me of when I used to live with Igneel here."

"You lived in the East Forest?"

"Well, yeah. Where else is a dragon supposed to go?" Natsu opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. "That's why I search around here so much. Honestly, I think he's still here somewhere, hidden. There's nowhere else in Fiore he could be, except maybe the mountains. But Igneel doesn't like cold."

Lucy laid down beside him. "We're going to find him, you know."

"…I don't know anymore, Lucy," Natsu whispered. "I don't hear anything about dragons anymore. People don't even think they exist. I don't have any leads. There's nowhere else for me to look."

"Don't say that! You know that's not true. I don't know why Igneel left, but I'm sure he had a good reason. He's not gone. You can't say that you've looked everywhere—just think of all the new places you've found since you've known me. There's no way you've covered every square inch of Fiore." Lucy reached out and took his hand. It was warm and calloused. "When that happens, we still won't give up. We'll travel to Edolas and Extalia and all over the globe to find him."

Natsu looked away from the sky and grinned at her. "You're right. If Igneel was here right now, listening to my quitter talk, he'd beat me to a pulp." He squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Luce."

"You know, you're the only one who's ever called me that."

"What?"

" 'Luce,' " she answered. "You're the only one who's ever given me a nickname before."

"That's not true. Gajeel calls you Blondie. And I'm pretty sure Bixlow calls you Cosplay Queen," Natsu said.

"That's not the same," said Lucy. "They're making fun of me. Your nickname is an endearment."

"An endearment? What are you talking about?"

Lucy sighed, releasing his hand. "Forget it."

Natsu shrugged and turned his attention back to the sounds of nature, letting it lull him into a light doze. After a while of this, Lucy spoke again. "Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you ever tell me I look nice?"

Natsu's eyebrows shot up before he even opened his eyes. "What are you talking about now?"

"Well, we've been to several balls and a wedding, and you've never told me that I look pretty."

"Is this about Gildarts and that 'beautiful woman' comment?"

"No, not really. But it's only polite to tell a girl she's pretty if you think so," Lucy said. "I mean, Gray told Juvia she looked nice at the wedding."

"I'm not like that droopy-eyed pervert," Natsu said. "And I don't care about manners. If I told you that you look nice every time I thought so, I'd be saying it all the time."

Lucy blushed. "Really?"

"Yeah. All that make-up and dresses and stuff that girls wear to balls—it doesn't make them any prettier than they already are, so I don't see the point in saying so. If a girl is pretty than she's pretty with or without all that other stuff."

"That's…a good way of looking at it," Lucy said.

"Well, that's the way I look at it," Natsu said. "And to be fair, Luce, you never told me I looked nice either."

"That's not a girl's job! The guy is supposed to tell her she looks nice, not the other way around!"

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It's chivalry!"

"Chival-what?"

Lucy opened her mouth to retort, but Natsu abruptly clapped a hand over it. He held a finger up. "Shhh…do you hear that?"

She listened intently and managed to distinguish the crunch of footsteps from the other organic forest sounds. Eyes wide, she nodded. Natsu stood up and squinted, scanning the tree line for the source of the noise. Lucy sat up and put a hand on Loke's key.

"He's coming from over there," Natsu whispered, pointing in the general direction. "I'm going to cover the right side, you take the left. We'll ambush him if he comes over here."

Lucy nodded and stood, trotting to the left side of the area that Natsu indicated. Who could it be? It sounded like just one person. Perhaps a lost traveler? Or an assassin? But who was to say that it was a human at all?

From the woods a small, definitely human form emerged. It looked around the clearing and began walking toward their campsite slowly.

"Ah ha!" Natsu leapt from the brush and tackled the stranger to the ground. Lucy squeaked and darted forward, key at the ready. Natsu had the wanderer pinned to the ground. He lit a finger and lowered it to see the stranger's face.

It was a boy of maybe fifteen, with black hair and two large, frightened eyes. "Let me go, you bastard!" he spit, struggling to wriggle out of Natsu's grasp.

"Who the hell are you?"

"That's none of your business, creep—" the boy froze when he noticed that Natsu's finger had spontaneously caught on fire. "Hey. You're a mage! A fire mage!"

"Yeah. And I ask again, who are you?"

"Romeo?" Gildarts stumbled over to the scene, peering at the young boy quizzically. "What are you doin' here, kiddo?"

"You know this guy?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah. He's the son of my old advisor," Gildarts explained.

"Tell this jerk to get off of me!" Romeo demanded, scowling. Natsu pursed his lips and knocked the kid on the head before releasing him. Romeo rubbed the spot sourly and turned to Gildarts. "I was trying to sell my cow and I got lost. I heard people over here so I decided to see if I could get directions."

"What if we were bandits? Then where would you be?" Gildarts scolded. "Probably dead on the side of the path, that's where. You should have never left Cornelia. You know I'm not making you pay any money to stay there, so there's no reason you'd need to sell your livestock."

"I'm not going to mooch off my dad's boss," Romeo declared proudly. "I am a Conbolt man. I'm paying you back every jewel I owe you."

Gildarts sighed. "I don't know where you learned about honor. Your father certainly didn't teach you."

"Hey! Just because he's missing doesn't mean you get to talk about him like that!"

"Your father's missing?" Lucy gasped.

"He has been for a few months," Gildarts said. "That's why Romeo is staying with me. _Free of charge_. And don't get all high and mighty on me, kid—that's nothin' I wouldn't say to Macao's face."

Romeo crossed his arms, pouting.

"You can camp out here with us. Tomorrow we're headed back to Onibus," Gildarts continued.

"What are these clowns doing here?" Romeo inquired, pointing at Natsu, Lucy, and Happy.

"Who're you calling clown, you twerp?!" Natsu yelled. "The name's Natsu, Natsu Dragneel! And that's Lucy and Happy!"

Romeo's jaw dropped. "Wait. Did you say Natsu Dragneel? _The_ Natsu Dragneel? Salamander? Fire Dragonslayer?"

"Uh…yeah, that's me," Natsu repeated.

"I can't believe it!" Romeo squealed, his face lighting up. "I'm actually talking to the Salamander! I've heard so much about you! You're, like, my hero!"

"…Really?"

Romeo nodded. He was entirely starstruck.

"His standards must be pretty low then," Lucy muttered to Happy.

Natsu scowled at her. He dusted off his scarf. "Well. It's nice to know _someone_ appreciates me."

"Before you start asking for autographs," Gildarts cut in, "Romeo, what happened to your cow? Didn't you say you were selling her?"

Romeo colored. "I did."

"You did? To who?"

"I don't know, some old lady," Romeo said. He dug around in his pocket and pulled out a handful of dark brown beans. There were four, each about the size of a thumbnail. "She gave me these for her."

"You sold your cow for _beans_?!" Gildarts cried. "What kind of deal is that, Romeo?!"

"They're magic beans. She said that they would help me find my dad."

Gildarts pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "…Look, kid, I want to find Macao as much as you do. I wish I could tell you that those beans were gonna do the trick, but you were scammed. I'm sorry. There's no such thing as magic beans."

"But the lady—"

"Lied to you," Gildarts snarled. "You might as well chew those beans up and swallow, because that's all they're good for." He ruffled Romeo's hair and stood up, walking back to the camp.

"I'm sorry to hear about your dad," Lucy murmured. "You never know. Maybe the Witch of the East Forest gave you the beans. Maybe they really are magic."

"Shut up," Romeo sniffed, looking down at his palm. "Everyone knows the Witch of the East Forest doesn't really exist. She's a myth."

"Hey! Watch your mouth, kid," Natsu snapped, knocking Romeo's head with his fist again. "The Witch is real. Lucy's seen her."

Romeo blinked and turned to her. "You have?"

"Yes. Once, in a hot spring in Hosenka. I swear it was her." Lucy put a hand on his shoulder. "And she wouldn't lie to you about the beans."

The child looked down at the beans again and closed them in his fist. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said. "She didn't tell me how to work them." He threw the beans into the trees angrily and stomped toward the campsite, plopping down by the fire.

"Poor kid," Lucy sighed. She stood up, dusting herself off. "I'll take over the watch, Natsu. You go get some sleep."

Natsu stared at Romeo's crouched, solitary silhouette. "Nah, that's okay. I'll do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He stood up and handed Happy, who had already dozed off again, over to her. She watched him walk over to the fire and sit down next to Romeo without a word. Silently he offered the boy a sandwich, which he reluctantly accepted and began to devour.

"Let's go to bed, Lucy," Happy yawned, rubbing his eyes. "If anyone can relate to that kid, it's Natsu."

"Yes, I know," she sighed, looking back at the fire. "But it's not the kid I'm worried about."


	86. The Beanstalk

**Author's Note:** _Congrats, people! You've figured out one half of the fairy tale hybrid: Jack—or Romeo, rather—and the Beanstalk! Unfortunately no one has guessed the second fairy tale correctly, but that's only because it hasn't really been introduced yet. Once it has you'll probably get it._

**Conspiracy Alert:**_ Okay, so has anyone kept up with the recent Fairy Tail chapters? Am I the only one who finds it strange that just when I started this Jack and the Beanstalk arc, Mashima begins his next arc with a plant man who sends Team Natsu to a village of giants using a beanstalk? Or that just when I get into my Little Mermaid arc, he focuses a lot on Gray, Juvia, and Ultear?_

_Guys. What if Mashima is reading this?_

_…Alright, that's unlikely. It's probably just a coincidence. But seriously, how cool would it be if he was? I think I would die and go to heaven. It's probably not happening. But seriously. It would be so cool if it was. So cool. I would die._

_And now that my paranoid spastic fangirl conspiracy session is over, I invite you to enjoy this much delayed chapter. I was on vacation. Give me a break._

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><p><strong>LXXXVI: The Beanstalk<strong>

Lucy wrinkled her nose as something soft and fuzzy wiggled under it. She heard someone saying her name in the distance. "Lucy…Lucy, wake up…"

Irritated, she rolled over and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "Happy, I already stood watch. Go away."

"It's not that. Come on, get up, you've got to see this."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy demanded around a monstrous yawn. Early dawn painted the sky in rich, dark colors, barely illuminating the frosty forest around them. Happy was perched on her shoulder like a blue bird, sweeping his tail under her nose. He tumbled into her lap when she sat up. "It's so cold," she complained blearily, hugging the blanket around her shoulders. She was accustomed to the warm weather of Hargeon Town and had forgotten what winter felt like. "What's so important that you had to wake me up?"

"You were the last person to get up, Lucy," Happy pointed out. Lucy looked around and noticed that the other bedrolls were indeed empty, and that no one was tending the smoldering coals in the center of the camp site. "We found something strange. You'll want to come see it."

Curious, Lucy followed Happy farther into the forest. "Watch your step," he warned as they leapt over fallen trees. She frowned and climbed over an icy trunk. The trees had recently been destroyed. What could have done that?

She heard her companions' voices as they drew nearer, but she couldn't make out their words. All of them, even the unshakable Natsu, sounded appalled. Happy finally guided her into a clearing, gesturing to the incredible sight before them. Lucy gasped as her eyes rested on it. Natsu turned at the sound and grinned from ear to ear.

"There you are, Luce! Pretty cool, huh?" he said. "I guess you and Romeo were right about the beans, after all."

"No kidding," Lucy whispered.

For in the middle of the clearing grew a giant beanstalk.

It was at least as wide as the base of a castle tower, if not wider, and it twisted and turned way up into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. The leaves were the size of boats. The intertwining vines that made up the stalk were more varieties of green than Lucy had ever seen, so dark in places it was almost black, so bright in others that it hurt her eyes. But, strangely enough, the immensity of the beanstalk wasn't the most amazing thing about it.

The beanstalk hadn't been there yesterday.

It had shot out of the ground and into the sky in a matter of hours, ruthlessly knocking down trees to compensate for its massive capacity, trees that had probably grown in the forest for hundreds of years to get to their circumference. The beanstalk had just tossed them aside as though they were toothpicks.

"How did we not hear this?!" she cried.

"We did," Gildarts said. "You didn't."

"You sleep like a rock," Natsu agreed.

"Aye," Happy contributed.

"Where do you think it goes?" Romeo interrupted, gazing up at the beanstalk in wonderment. His eyes lit up. "Guys, do you think my dad could be up there?"

"I don't know about that, kid," Gildarts said.

"Only one way to find out!" Natsu decreed. He proceeded to leap and grab the stem of a leaf, pulling himself up on the thick foliage. He grinned down at the astounded faces of his audience. "Well, are you guys coming or what?"

Romeo smiled back and jumped, letting Natsu hoist him onto the leaf. Gildarts climbed on to the leaf with enthusiasm, throwing back his head and letting out a hardy laugh. "This could turn out to be quite an adventure!" he cheered. Lucy was the last to join, grumbling about just wanting a hot bath.

"Let's go!" Natsu said, charging his way forward. They began scaling the beanstalk leaf by leaf, with the exception of Happy, who flew until his time ran out and then hitched a ride on Natsu's back.

An hour later they were all sprawled on a leaf, winded, drenched in sweat, muscles twitching, and only about halfway up the beanstalk as far as they could tell.

"Natsu…I…hate you," Gildarts groaned. "I'm just…an old man…why…would you do this…to me?"

"You're the one…who followed me," Natsu wheezed. "Romeo…threw the beans."

"Don't…blame me…you're the one…who wanted…to climb up here," gasped Romeo.

"I think…I'm going…to be sick," Lucy moaned. "Happy…why couldn't…you have…just flown us up?"

"You know I can't do that," Happy protested. As he had clung to Natsu's scarf the entire way up, he was perfectly rested. "I'm only strong enough to carry one person at a time, and there's no telling how tall this beanstalk is. My wings would probably have expired before I could carry all of you up to the top."

"Well, it's too late to…back down now," Romeo said. "There's nowhere to go…but up."

They rested for a while and then continued forth, for Romeo's words were undeniably true. They had already dedicated more than an hour of their day to climbing the stalk. They were also motivated by curiosity—even if there wasn't anything at the top, the height of the beanstalk was a fascinating enough prospect to keep them moving upward. This time, though, they paced themselves, taking regular and shorter breaks as they entered the cloud barrier.

"Any higher and I don't think we'll be able to breathe," Gildarts said, concerned. He, as a naturally adventurous man, had climbed his fair share of mountains, and knew that after a certain point the atmosphere became too thin to catch enough breath to continue.

"If the frostbite doesn't take us first," Lucy complained, shivering in her blanket, which she had wrapped around her like a cloak. The clouds had dampened them all, and that in addition to the winter chill it was making everyone but Natsu shudder.

"C'mon, don't give up yet!" the Dragonslayer encouraged. "We've got to be close to the top. It won't be much higher. We can make it!"

"Yeah!" Romeo added, although his teeth were chattering too hard to say much of anything else.

Sure enough, a few leaves later they popped their heads through the clouds to discover that the massive beanstalk was tapering, the vines and leaves shrinking to a fine point a few feet upward. Despite the altitude, the wind was calm and the sun was bright, warming their damp skin. Lucy blinked in the golden light, shading her eyes with her hand. In the distance she could make out a faint, dark shape on the clouds, but it wasn't until her eyes adjusted that she could tell what it was.

"Um, am I the only one seeing that?" she inquired, pointing in the direction of the blob.

The men shook their heads wordlessly.

"Okay," Lucy sighed, her stomach sinking as she realized that another escapade lay in store for them before they could even arrive to Onibus. "Just making sure. It's not every day you see a castle floating in the sky." For, although it was far away, the tall wicked spires indicated that it was indeed a fortress of some sort.

"How do you think it got all the way up here?" Romeo asked.

"The better question," Gildarts said, "is how is it _staying_ up here?"

Natsu frowned at the thick cloud coverage ponderously. He reached out the hand that was not gripping the beanstalk and felt along the cloud coverage until his fingers brushed something solid. "Guys, there's land here!" he cried.

"What are you—?"

Before Lucy could finish her question, Natsu had leapt off the beanstalk and was freefalling. "_Natsu!_" she screamed, grabbing for him, but he was out of her reach. They watched in horror as he sailed through the air for a few seconds until he was swallowed up by the clouds. Happy swiftly unfurled his wings, preparing to dive after him.

Then, suddenly, he popped back up. "I told you, there's land," he said, standing up. The clouds came up to his waist like light, fluffy snow. He disrupted the smooth surface with his hands, sending mist flying everywhere.

"Natsu, you idiot!" Lucy shouted furiously, brushing tears out of her eyes. "Don't just jump off a beanstalk without explaining yourself first! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"But I explained myself!"

" 'Guys, there's land here' isn't an adequate explanation!"

Natsu turned his eyes to Happy and narrowed them suspiciously. "Hey, I thought you said your wings timed out."

"Uh…aye?"

"Don't just change the subject!" Lucy screeched.

"Look, I wouldn't have jumped if I didn't know it was safe," Natsu assured. "Trust me, Lucy. Here, see for yourself." He held out a hand for her.

Lucy gripped the beanstalk, nervously eyeing the clouds. Slowly she inched forward on the leaf and jumped the distance, letting out a terrified shriek as she fell. Natsu caught her before she could topple forward, but there was really no need—she could feel something hard and sturdy under her feet, like an invisible platform.

"See, told you," he said with a cheeky grin. Lucy blushed when he removed his hot hands from her waist to help the others across. She pulled the blanket closer and blushed deeper when she noticed Gildarts wagging his eyebrows at Natsu, who was completely oblivious to the subliminal messaging. The old duke jumped across with no problem, but Romeo landed right on the edge of the solidity and nearly lost his balance. Natsu caught him by his shirt just in time.

"Careful," he warned, hoisting him on board.

"That was close," Romeo panted, eyeing the general location of the edge with apprehension. He looked around him at the clouds. "How big do you think this thing is?"

"At least to the castle," Lucy reasoned. "And past that, since whatever this is probably forms a perimeter around it."

"Is this a coincidence that the beanstalk grew right next to it?"

"I don't believe in coincidences," said Gildarts. "Whoever sold you those beans knew what she was doing. She led us here for a reason."

"To find my dad, you think?"

"Maybe," Gildarts admitted, ruffling Romeo's hair affectionately.

Natsu touched Lucy's arm. "Hey, do you think whoever's up here might know something about Igneel?"

"It's worth a try," Lucy said, smiling. Without preamble, they began walking toward the castle, stepping carefully on the unyielding but invisible platform. "We should be careful," she added irately when Natsu recklessly rushed ahead. "There's no telling what's solid and what's not."

"That's okay, Happy will catch us," Natsu said, shooting a grin at the blue cat, who was walking next to him. "Right, Happy?"

"Aye…"

"What do you think this is holding us up?" Romeo asked. "Is it some kind of magic?"

"Probably, but I've never seen the likes of it before," Gildarts answered, pausing to poke at the ground with his foot. "It must be some kind of magic barrier to keep the castle afloat with these clouds."

"Why would someone want to keep a floating castle?" Lucy wondered.

"That's a good question, but to be honest, no good answers come to mind."

Everyone stopped asking questions after that.

As the dwelling came into view, Gildarts's ominous words became more concrete. The castle did not look inviting in the slightest. It was built with bricks as black as pitch, and the dark spires were topped with steel spikes. Pieces of jagged, scorched wood were scattered around, sticking up from the cloud cover. Lucy felt like she was in a cemetery. There was no gate surrounding the castle, but the foreboding miasma around the place was enough to alarm trespassers.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Lucy whispered.

"We can't go back now!" Romeo objected. "The witch led me here for a reason, and if it was to find my dad then I can't just run away scared!"

"We're not running away," Gildarts assured the boy. "It's my duty as Duke of Onibus to investigate suspicious activity around my town. There's something…wrong with this castle. It doesn't sit right with me."

"Me neither," Natsu said.

They treaded carefully closer to the great fortress. There was no fence to signify the entrance from a distance, so they ended up behind the castle. Twelve tall, narrow windows were spaced evenly along the back wall, six low to the ground and six above those. Three thick metal bars stretched across each window instead of glass.

"It looks like a prison," Lucy murmured, hugging herself.

No sooner had she said it did a small, pale hand shoot out from one of the windows, causing all of them to stifle bloodcurdling screams of terror. The hand gripped one of the metal bars, and a slender arm, then a white face appeared. It was a girl no older than thirteen or fourteen, with big dark eyes and long indigo hair, bangs flopping onto her forehead. Even covered in filth she was pretty, although her face was gaunt and her eyes were haunted. She reached out her other hand to them. Her tiny fingers were caked in dried blood.

"Please," she rasped. "My name is Wendy Marvell. I've been trapped here for two days, and if you don't help me, I'm going to die tomorrow. Please. Help me."


	87. Raven Tail

**Author's Note:** _Guys! This story has over 1000 reviews! :D You guys are awesome, all of you! It makes me so happy that you've stuck with it this long, 87 chapters and counting!_

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><p><strong>LXXXVII: Raven Tail<strong>

The travelers stared at the girl for a moment, petrified by her state. Surprisingly it was the least experienced of them, young Romeo, who snapped out of the trance first. He rushed over to her, just out of the reach of her bloody fingers in case she was not quite as innocent as she appeared.

"Who put you in here?" he asked, blinking at her through the bars of the dungeon. He stood on his toes to see her face, which trembled with the realization that these were people actually willing to help her.

"I—I don't know," Wendy sobbed. Her chin quivered violently and her dark eyes swam with tears. "I don't know his name. He won't tell me."

"He? So you've seen him?" Lucy said, joining Romeo in front of the window. The boy's action broke the spell on the others, and they also pushed forward to better understand Wendy's scared murmurs.

Wendy nodded. "Yes. He is tall, middle-aged, with black hair and a beard, I think. I can't really remember. He has people here with him—mean people, so many mean people. Please, get me out of here!"

"We'll try," said Gildarts. "But first you need to tell us how you got in here."

"He came for me a few days ago," Wendy answered. "I lived in the small village of Cat Shelter. We were a community of healers and…I don't know, he must have heard of us. He came to our village and slaughtered everyone except for me, Master Roubaul, and my friend, Charle." The tears dripped down her cheeks as she relayed the story, but she swallowed the sobs and pushed on. "He told the master that if he joined him, he would let Charle and me live. I couldn't let Master Roubaul go—he was elderly and had a strong bond with the land. He would have died within a matter of days. So I volunteered to go in his place. I told the man that I was the best healer in the village, that I studied under the Sky Dragon, Grandine, until I was six."

"Wait, so you're a Dragonslayer?!" Natsu interrupted, shocked.

Again, Wendy nodded, frowning. "Yes. How do you…?"

"I am, too. I'm a Fire Dragonslayer. Igneel was my master. When did—?"

"Natsu!" Lucy hissed. "Now is not the time. You can ask her about Igneel later."

"Once the man heard that, he took me and Charle and…he killed the master sage," Wendy whimpered. "He claimed that Master Roubaul was trying to hide the true master. I begged him not to, but he did it anyway. He told me that I was lucky he was sparing Charle, but that if I didn't follow his instructions, he would kill her, too."

"What did he ask you to do?" Gildarts inquired, looking a little green.

"He brought me another man," Wendy said. "He was tied up and gagged. He threw him into my cell and told me to put him in a medicinal coma by the next morning. After I did that, he told me to heal all the man's injuries. Now he wants me to remove a lacrima the man has inside of him, but I don't know how to do that without killing him. I don't know how to do that at all. He says that if I don't do it by tomorrow morning, he's going to kill me and Charle and find a real healer." Wendy took a shuddering breath. "He also told me that if I could figure out who he was, he'd let us all free. But I have no clue who he is, and even if I did, I doubt he would keep his—"

Wendy froze mid-sentence. She wheeled around. The group could hear a noise coming from inside the cell. "Someone's coming," the girl hissed. "You have to go. He'll know you're here. Hide somewhere safe. If you have to leave, I'll understand, just—just don't get caught."

"But I can get you out of here," Gildarts said, grabbing the bars as if testing their strength. "I can just—"

"No! I'm not leaving without Charle, and you won't have time to get both of us," Wendy said. "Go! Hurry!"

Lucy grabbed the men's arms. "There's nothing we can do. Our best bet is to come back later and help her. Let's go."

As the group reluctantly turned and sprinted away, Romeo paused and grabbed Wendy's soiled hand, which was still hanging out of the window. "We'll come back for you," he promised. Wendy blinked and nodded as he released her and followed the others. She brought the hand inside and held it to her chest, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. Hope kindled inside her for the first time since the slaughter of her village as she watched them retreat.

"Where are we going?!" Romeo panted when he caught up with them. They ran away from the fortress with no clear direction, dodging sharp obstacles along the way. The mist grew thicker around them, shrouding them from any prying eyes.

"Here!" Natsu, decided, stopping at a particularly hefty splinter of wood. They all piled in behind it, crouching to catch their breath and rest their burning muscles. Natsu peered over the side at the fortress suspiciously. There was a long pause. Then he said: "We should burn it down."

"Absolutely not," Lucy said at the same time everyone else cheered. They stopped and gave her a shocked look, as though surprised she would not automatically agree to reckless arson. She scowled in response. "We can't just burn the place down! First of all we have to get Wendy and Charle out, which will be hard to do if they're caught in a fire. Secondly, there's no telling what's holding this place up—it could be someone or something inside the fortress. If we burn it down we might as well just sign our own death certificates, because last time I check the only one who can fly is Happy!"

"…She makes a good point," Gildarts admitted begrudgingly.

"Well, fine, what do you propose we do?" Natsu asked her.

"We should find out more information," Lucy answered. "There's bound to be clues somewhere around here. We need to figure out who we're dealing with and then formulate a plan. We can start by using what Wendy told us."

"She said that the man was middle-aged with black hair and a beard," Romeo began. "I don't know anybody like that. Do you?"

The group shook their heads. "But I'm sure there are plenty of men who fit that description. We need to focus on what he wants with her," Gildarts said. "The man she's working on is more important. Why would he have her heal all his injuries if he was just going to take the lacrima from him and kill him?"

"To test the potency of her powers," said Lucy thoughtfully. "We also don't know if he wants the man dead. Wendy obviously is unwilling to kill him, and I'm sure that he knows that."

"But removing a lacrima from someone is almost certain death for that person. The body relies on it to survive after a period of time. Even if he doesn't die right away, he'll be too weak to sustain himself for very long," Gildarts said.

"Maybe he thinks that Wendy is capable of sustaining him," Romeo suggested. "I bet you that's why he's keeping Charle alive. He'll have leverage even after the lacrima is out, so Wendy will still be under his control."

"But why would he care so much?" Happy wondered.

"That's obvious, isn't it?" Natsu grumbled. "The man with the lacrima is Laxus."

Lucy frowned. "You think so? That seems a bit unlikely."

"C'mon, Lucy, how many men do you know with a lacrima in their body?"

"Two, actually. Laxus and Cobra. But that doesn't mean there can't be more," Lucy pointed out. "Besides, I find it hard to believe that someone managed to attack him and drag him all the way up here. Remember how much trouble we had fighting him?"

Natsu rolled his eyes and took Lucy's hand, smacking it firmly on the ground. "You feel that? Even I wouldn't be able to get out of that. If someone can make this barrier and keep it that way, they can capture Laxus."

"Are you talking about Laxus Dreyar?" Gildarts inquired, frowning. "Makarov's grandson?"

"Yeah. He's still on the loose after tried to declare himself King of Fiore at Fried's birthday party. You were there, right?"

"Yes. I remember…the lacrima. He called himself a 'Lightning Dragonslayer,'" Gildarts murmured.

"We saw him again after that," said Lucy. "He was using a false identity and Jet and Droy hired him to rescue Levy from Gajeel. Once he saw her, he was going to kill her because he realized that she was the one who deconstructed Fried's rune barrier and let Makarov in to Raijinshuu Castle. He escaped once he saw he was outnumbered."

"And he's not a Dragonslayer," Natsu growled. "He's a fake. Probably never seen a dragon in his life. The lacrima just gives him Dragonslayer-like abilities."

"If it is him, then the man's strange behavior makes sense, doesn't it?" Gildarts said. "Now we know why he'd want to keep Laxus alive, at least for a little while."

"Right," Natsu said, nodding. "That's what I was going to say. He probably didn't even have to capture Laxus. Laxus might have come to him for help."

"Wait, I don't understand," said Romeo. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Laxus Dreyar was kidnapped as a child," Gildarts explained. "Along with a lacrima. It was his father who kidnapped him and stole the lacrima, killing a Magnolian Rune Knight in the process. Makarov managed to get his grandson back, but the lacrima was already in his body and his father managed to escape. He hasn't been seen by anyone since."

"So, what you're saying is that the man is Laxus's father?"

"That's right," Gildarts confirmed. "I'd bet all the whiskey in my liquor cabinet that the man who captured Wendy is Ivan Dreyar."

"That's great!" Romeo said, popping up excitedly. "We know the guy's name now! All we have to do is tell Wendy and she'll be free!"

"Sit down, Romeo!" Gildarts hissed, tugging on the kid's shirt. "We still don't know that for sure. We'd better get some hard evidence before we put the girl in even more danger."

"Besides, we don't know for sure he'll keep his word," Lucy said. "He seems like the kind of man whose word doesn't mean much."

"Why would he make a stupid promise like that, anyway?" Natsu scoffed.

"Ivan has never been stable," Gildarts said. "He's always enjoyed toying with people and playing games, taking unnecessary risks. He's downright insane. We need to tread carefully if we're going to confront him."

"He also has followers," Lucy warned. "Wendy told us that there were 'mean people.' There's no telling how many he has up here."

"I'd feel better about this situation if we did some recon," Gildarts said. "We'll split up. Romeo and I will take the east side of the castle. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy take the west. We'll meet up here after it's done. If you guys get caught, send us a signal so we know. We'll do the same."

"What are the signals?" Lucy asked.

Gildarts just smirked. "Get creative with it."

Lucy frowned. If this _was_ Ivan Dreyar, she didn't think he would give them a chance to get creative.

They split according to plan. When Lucy looked back at their rendezvous, she realized with sudden terror that it was a hunk of wood in the shape of a cross. A giant grave marker. Her eyes trailed the numerous other crosses spread out haphazardly along the property. A giant cemetery.

"Natsu..."

"Yeah," he whispered bitterly, following her gaze. "I see it, too."

Lucy gulped as they pressed forward. Were there bodies under all these crosses?

They reached the fortress and pressed their backs up to the stone. It was damp, chilly, and smelled like mold. They scooted forward along the wall, breathing quietly. Lucy rammed into Natsu's back when he stopped suddenly. She wrinkled her nose, which throbbed dully. He turned and pressed a finger to his lips. He crept forward a little more, straining his ears. Lucy couldn't hear anything at all, and by the looks of Happy's equally blank expression, he couldn't either.

"I can't understand them," Natsu breathed. "They're too far away. It's a man and a woman. C'mon, let's try to get closer."

They sneaked along the wall for a few more feet. Then, all of a sudden, two people were standing less than ten feet in front of them. Lucy gasped and Natsu pressed a hand over her mouth, silencing her. He ducked further behind the wall, listening. Only the silhouettes of the two people were visible, but he could see that the man was short, plump, and had a strong double chin. The woman was tall and shapely, with incredibly long hair.

"...all I'm saying is that if he'd give me a go with the little girl, we wouldn't have to treat her so nice," the man sighed. "She'd break easily enough. Then we could have some fun with that little cat of hers..."

"Don't defy Master Ivan's orders, Nullpuding," said the woman. "He always knows what's best."

"He can be open to suggestions, can't he?" the man, Nullpuding, said.

"He doesn't need them."

"You're just saying that because he's giving you the little girl as your charge," Nullpuding sneered. "And Obra gets the cat. I never get to do anything fun."

"Maybe it's because you complain about the jobs he does give you," the woman retorted. "Master Ivan is the wisest of all of us. He gave me the girl because I, as a woman, can relate to her the best. And while Obra is around the cat, she can't use her wings like she tried to do the first day."

Nullpuding snorted. "Miss Flare, you really think that the little girl _relates _to you? You think that's the best way to go?"

"She's been getting the job done, hasn't she?" Flare's voice was cold. "If I let you get your grubby hands on her, she'll be in too much pain to complete the task. At least I can control my temper enough to keep her injuries to a minimum. We need the Golden Egg lacrima that Master Ivan's son has in his chest. Without it, we won't be able to take Magnolia back from that vile Makarov."

"I don't see why we can't just cut it out of him," Nullpuding said.

"Laxus is Master Ivan's son, Nullpuding," Flare purred. "Who do you think will inherit Raven Tail after Master Ivan is gone? It can only be his flesh and blood."

"Once the Golden Egg is removed, though, he'll be a weakling!" Nullpuding growled. "He will not be fit to rule Raven Tail!"

"Of course not. That's why I'm here, don't you see?" Flare leaned in so Natsu could barely hear her words. "Laxus will be too weak, but his son will be strong. Master Ivan will make sure of that. _I_ will make sure of that. Master Ivan's grandson will not be a failure. Besides, even if Laxus refuses to join us, Makarov still cares for him. He will lay down his defenses to ensure Laxus's safety, and Magnolia will be even easier to take."

"I say that Raven Tail belongs to the loyal," Nullpuding muttered. "The one who has always stood by Master Ivan's side."

"I suppose you fancy that it belongs to you? Think again. If that were the case, Raven Tail would be mine. After all, I knew all this information and you didn't. Obviously Master Ivan trusts me more than he trusts you."

A third figure appeared from the mist so suddenly it startled even Flare and Nullpuding. "Obra!" they exclaimed in unison. Natsu jumped and grabbed Lucy, shoving them up against the wall. A small black animal similar to a cat skittered close to them, its little white nose sniffing the air. They stopped breathing.

"Let's go then," Nullpuding said in response to whatever the newcomer had told them. The three disappeared into the clouds. After a second of hesitation, the black animal turned and followed them.

Lucy's knees trembled so violently she almost collapsed. It was only Natsu's hands on her shoulders that held her up. "That was way too close."

"Aye," Happy agreed. He looked faint.

"We learned a lot," Natsu whispered, peering around the wall again. "We know for sure who we're dealing with now. We know what his plan is, and we know he's got at least three lackeys."

"I think we found out enough," Lucy said. "We should go back."

Natsu nodded. Just as they turned around, there was a deep rumbling from the other side of the fortress. Lucy and Natsu glanced at each other. "You don't think…?"

Suddenly, a huge boulder sailed between two spires of the fortress and landed a few feet away from them. When the fog cleared, they realized that an illustration of Gildarts's smiling face was burned onto the surface.

"You know, I think that might be the sign," Happy said.

"Shit, we've got to go help him!" Natsu cried. He grabbed Lucy's hand and began running. They turned the corner and Lucy screamed when the black animal from earlier leapt out at them from the mist, a white grin on its face. She closed her eyes and kicked, knocking it away from them. "Great job, Lucy!" Natsu grinned.

"Oh…did I get it?"

They heard voices nearby—it sounded like Nullpuding. And if the black creature was there, Obra was probably nearby. Scowling, Natsu turned and rammed his shoulder into the double doors of the fortress. They opened up like beaconing arms. "Come on!"

They rushed in. Natsu closed the doors behind him. Panting, Lucy looked about, taking in her surroundings. Her stomach leapt into her throat.

They were standing in the heart of Raven Tail Castle.


	88. Cat And Mouse

**Author's Note:** _And you guys have correctly guessed the other fairy tale! It is indeed Rumpelstiltskin. It's very loosely based off of the original tale, but hints of it are still there nonetheless. Sorry about the wait on this chapter, I've been really busy, blah blah blah, the usual spiel. Let's just get on with it, shall we?_

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><p><strong>LXXXVIII: Cat And Mouse<strong>

Wendy stood up when she heard the doors to the dungeon open. It had only been a few minutes since her kidnapper came to check on her progress with the blonde man and the lacrima. He had been angry with her, accusing her of wanting Charle to die, of wanting death.

"Please, don't hurt us!" she begged.

"Then do what I asked! You've done nothing!" he roared.

"I don't know what to do! Please, I just need help. I need someone to help me!"

One of his vile servants entered—the one who always had that terrifying black creature with him—and said something to her abductor. He stormed out of the dungeon without another word to her, looking even angrier.

Wendy heaved a sigh. She hoped that those nice people from outside her window hadn't been caught. If the man did catch them, she hoped that her words stuck in his brain and he allowed them to help her. At least then he wouldn't kill them on the spot.

She glanced over at the blonde man anxiously. Wendy was no stranger to bloody, wounded bodies, so healing him had not bothered her. She just wished that she knew how to extract that lacrima everyone was making such a fuss about. Master Roubaul probably knew the secret. She wished that the man had not killed him. She wished that the man had not come to Cat Shelter at all. Stubbornly she forced down the tears that filled her eyes and throat. Wendy was not going to cry. Not here. Not now.

Her eyes stayed trained on the blonde man. Perhaps if she woke him up, he could get her out of here. He must have been powerful with that lacrima in his chest. The thought had occurred to her, but she had no idea what kind of man he was. What if he was just as bad as her kidnapper? What if he was worse? What if he escaped and didn't take her with him because he knew she was the one who knocked him out? What if he couldn't break either of them out of the cell and the kidnapper killed Charle because of Wendy's treachery? A thousand scenarios played out in her head. There were just too many risks. But Wendy did vow that if she could not find a way to extract the lacrima without killing him, she would wake the man and allow him to escape, even if he did not take her. She was not going to be responsible for his death.

Wendy jumped when someone kicked the dungeon door open. Her kidnapper strode in, flanked by two of his cronies—the woman named Flare and the man with the black creature. Flare had two people trapped in her magic hair. No matter how much they struggled, they could not break free of its strong grip.

"Still sitting around, I see," the leader sneered at Wendy through the bars of her cell. "Well, I have good news for you, little dragonling. I've brought you the help you need." He opened her cell and Flare tossed the two people in. Wendy recognized them—it was the older man and the young boy from outside her window. The other three were not in sight. Good. They must still be free.

"What about Charle? These people probably don't know anything about medicine," Wendy persuaded. "Charle knows almost as much as I do."

"Then maybe I'll keep her alive after all. If you fail, she'll give it a go," the man said. He pressed his face into the bars, glaring at her with those bright maniacal eyes of his. "This is all you get. Be grateful I'm sparing them."

With that he turned with a dramatic flick of his cloak and exited the dungeon. Obra and his creature left to guard Charle, who was separated from Wendy by a thick brick wall. Flare remained, smiling down at Wendy. It made her shiver.

"It's best to get started," Flare said. "You don't want to disappoint the master. Trust me. He gets very angry when you disappoint him."

Wendy frowned. Flare had experience with the leader's rage. She hid the bruises expertly, but Wendy occasionally caught glimpses. "I don't understand," she said, edging closer to the bars. "You're a strong woman, Miss Flare. A strong mage. Why do you let him push you around? Why do you stay here and follow his orders when you know he's just going to—"

Wendy was cut off by hair. As quick as crimson lightening it wrapped around her throat, strangling her words. Flare scowled at her murderously. "You shut up, stupid little brat. You don't know what you're talking about. Don't ever speak ill of the master again, understand? He's done you a huge favor by not chopping you into pieces to feed to Obra's pet."

"Hey!" the boy shouted. "Let her go!"

"Oh, look, another one," Flare cooed. Another tendril of hair shot out, knocking the boy's feet out from under him. He fell to the ground with a bodily sound. "You two better be careful. Master doesn't care what happens to you at all. If one or both of you disappears, he won't even notice." Wendy collapsed when Flare released her, coughing and sputtering. The hair caressed her cheek before retreating from the cell. "Better get working," Flare suggested. She took a seat and began braiding.

The man and the boy rushed over to her, helping her off the ground. "Are you alright?" they asked.

"Fine," she said. "Don't worry about me. Who are you?"

The old man said his name was Gildarts, and the boy's was Romeo. When Flare wasn't listening, Wendy whispered, "Where are the others?"

"Hiding. We split up to find out more information about this place," Gildarts breathed back. "I sent them a signal to say that we got caught. They should be a safe distance away, and they'll come rescue us soon. Although," he added, eyeing Flare, "they might have some trouble."

"I know. The mages here are strong," Wendy agreed. "What did they find out?"

"Later," Romeo hissed when their guard looked over curiously. "Right now we need to focus on La—on this guy."

"Do either of you have any idea how to remove a lacrima from his chest without killing him?" Wendy inquired.

Gildarts and Romeo glanced at each other. "None at all," they admitted.

"Yeah," she sighed, "me neither." _Hopefully the other Dragonslayer, the blonde woman, and the blue cat are okay_, she added in her head. It didn't seem like her abductor was very concerned about any other intruders. _If no one is looking for them, then perhaps they'll be able to save us before it's too late_.

As a matter of fact, the Fire Dragonslayer, blonde woman, and blue cat were standing in the middle of the castle parlor that very moment, completely out in the open with nowhere to hide. Luckily, no one was looking for them—Raven Tail staff assumed that Gildarts and Romeo were his only trespassers. However, if the trio continued to stand out in the open, someone was bound to find them whether there was an active search or not. Besides, eventually the strange black creature would report back to its master and reveal their whereabouts. There was no doubt it could communicate.

"What do we do?!" Lucy hissed, wildly spinning around. The parlor was packed with old, unsavory antiques, articles obviously associated with black magic, polished artwork depicting human torment. It was spacious, the walls made of dark stone, windows barricaded and foggy. A chandelier hung in the center of the cathedral ceiling, round and made of iron with torches burning bright in a circle.

"It was your idea to come in here!" Natsu snapped. He stiffened, hearing footsteps coming their way. His eyes landed on a narrow cherry wood wardrobe buried among the antiques. He hurried over to it and pulled at the latch—it was unlocked. "Lucy, Happy, over here!"

They ran over and quickly piled into the wardrobe, Natsu jumping in after them and closing the door just before the footsteps reached the parlor.

"Are you sure you don't want us to continue to search, Master?" a man asked. "I swear that the older one sent a signal using that boulder, and Obra's demon pet still has not returned."

"Do not question me, Kurohebi," said another man testily. It must have been Ivan. "I am more concerned about how the two intruders found Raven Tail. No one has breached our property in over ten years, and those fools did not live to spread the news. If there are any other intruders, I will see to them. I want to make sure that everything is still in order, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master," Kurohebi said. "Nullpuding and I shall set out immediately."

One pair of footsteps died away. Natsu could sense Ivan on the other side of the door, listening. No one breathed for a full minute while they waited for what came next.

"If you're there, intruders," Ivan began, "I will find you. Do not attempt to rescue your friends. You will fail and I will kill you. My suggestion is to run away from this place as fast as you can, even though it will do you no good." After another pregnant silence, Ivan left the parlor.

Lucy heaved a sigh of relief. "What a scary guy," she whispered. "It's amazing that he's related to Makarov at all. But at least we know that Gildarts and Romeo are alive."

"I don't like it," Natsu said, frowning. "This cat-and-mouse game he's playing with us."

"You just don't like being the mouse," Happy said.

Natsu made a noncommittal noise. Lucy could feel it reverberating through his chest. It struck her just how tiny the wardrobe was. Her back was pressed against the wall and Natsu's against the door, and they were still chest-to-chest. His hands lay flat on the wall on either side of her, encompassing her. Happy was wedged in the corner near their feet, but for all intents and purposes he was invisible. Lucy felt the blood rush up to her face. Her heart started pounding.

"Luce, you okay?" Natsu seemed to draw closer to her, if that was even possible. She could feel his breath on her face—he smelled smoky, almost, but it wasn't an unpleasant scent.

"Fine," she squeaked, "just…claustrophobic."

"Claustro-what-ic?"

"It means she doesn't like tight spaces, Natsu," Happy explained.

Lucy suddenly felt something in her core, a strange tugging sensation that was familiar and made her heart pound from terror, not...whatever it was that made it speed up before. She could feel it stretching in her like an elastic band. She needed to get out of the wardrobe before it snapped—before she did something she would regret the rest of her life.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't—gah!" Natsu stifled a startled shout as Lucy shoved him from the wardrobe. The door gave and he toppled onto the hard stone floor, stunned as he watched her leap over him and blindly run right into an antique cross.

Lucy rebounded, landing directly on top of Natsu, who was dusting himself off, and sent him sprawling right back to the ground. The cross disappeared with a loud _pop!_ A silver key clattered to the floor in its place.

"What the hell?" Natsu growled. It sounded more like, "Uh er eh?" since his face was somehow buried in Lucy's generous bosom.

Happy emerged from the wardrobe grinning from ear to ear. "Wow, Natsu, I didn't know you had it in you."

"Shut up, stupid cat!" Lucy cried, mortified. She scrambled off of her accidental victim and crossed her arms over her chest self-consciously.

Natsu sat up, gasping for air. "I think I might be claustrophobic now..."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Keep your voice down, Lucy," Natsu chastised, changing the subject. He stood up. "We need to get out of here before Ivan comes back."

"Right," said Lucy. She scooped up her newest key. "Do you think he'll notice that his knickknack is gone?"

"In all this crap? Probably not," Natsu said. He eyed it warily. "Lucy…if you hadn't pushed me out of the way…?"

"It could have been you," Lucy murmured. "That's what happened to Plue, that night we were attacked by wolves in the East Forest. I woke up and I had him in my arms, and I just felt this weird sensation and…poof. He was gone. He was a Spirit." She looked up at him seriously. "So, yes, it could easily have been you."

"Wow, that's horrible." Natsu and Happy looked at each other, shuddering. "Imagine…a life of servitude under Lucy…"

"Don't say it like I'm the worst part! My Spirits are all very happy with my leadership, thank you!"

"What does this one do?" Happy inquired.

"I don't know. We'll find out later," Lucy said. She hooked it onto her key ring. "We don't have the time right now. Let's go."

"Right," they agreed. Then all three of them stopped, blinking at each other expectantly.

"Well?" Natsu said.

"Well, what?" Lucy asked.

"Where are we supposed to go?"

"How am I supposed to know? It's not like I live here!"

"Well, we need to find out how to get to the dungeons at least, don't we?" Happy pointed out. "If we're going to rescue the others, it'll be helpful to know how to get to them."

"And we better know what we're up against," Natsu nodded. "Good idea, Happy. Let's look for the dungeons."

Again, there was silence.

"Well?" Lucy said.

"Well, what?" Natsu asked.

"Where do we start?"

"That's…a good question."

"The dungeons were at the back of the castle," Happy put in. "I vote we start down one of those corridors straight ahead."

"Let's do that," the other two agreed, and they began that way. Happy shook his head, padding after them. "And people think I'm the weakest link," he muttered. "Hormone-crazed teenagers in denial…"

"What was that, Happy?"

"Hm? I didn't say anything."

The corridor that Happy selected was a straight shot through the center of the fortress, branching off into smaller corridors that weaved through the rest. The trio proceeded with caution, tip-toeing around doors and ducking into corners when they thought they heard a footstep. They didn't run into anyone, though. Eventually the corridor ended at a heavy oak door.

"This is probably it," Lucy whispered.

"Shouldn't we check?" Natsu said.

"What if we walk right into a guard? Then what do we do?"

He punched his fists together. "We pound them into dust, grab the prisoners, and go."

"That's absurd! We can't just go in guns blazing!"

"Do you have a better plan?"

Lucy pondered it for several minutes, but eventually surrendered. "No, I can't think of one. I guess we'll go with that." She wrapped her hand around Loke's key. She wished she could use Virgo to just dig the prisoners out, but there was no telling how thick the barrier holding up the castle was and she didn't want to risk severely injuring the Spirit, or worse.

Natsu grinned. "Here we go!"

Then he kicked down the door.

It was a small room with a single cell in the back, identical to Wendy's. A table and chair sat in the corner outside of the bars, unoccupied. Inside of the bars there was nothing but the window on the wall. There were no other cells in sight, but there were two doors on either wall that probably led to similar rooms.

"Wow, this is really isolated," Natsu remarked. He was fairly familiar with dungeons.

When he spoke, they noticed movement coming from the cell. Slowly a small white cat stepped into the light pouring in from the window. She walked on her back paws like a person, and was fully clothed, although her dress was very dirty. Her eyes were bright and intelligent as they passed over the three of them, resting last and longest on Happy, who gazed back at her in utter amazement.

"Who are you?" she implored in a high, clear voice.

"I'm here to rescue you, fair maiden," Happy answered before Lucy or Natsu could get a word out. He swaggered over to the bars and leaned against them, grinning. "These are just my human servants. I'm Happy."

"That makes one of us," the female cat said dryly.

"No, I mean—that's my name! My name is Happy!"

"Oh. That's the stupidest name I've ever heard."

Happy collapsed to the ground, crippled by her frigid rejection. Satisfied, the white cat turned to Lucy and Natsu, who she'd been addressing in the first place. "You two still haven't answered my question. Unless, of course, you really are the human servants of this buffoon, in which case I pity you tremendously."

"I'm Natsu and this is Lucy. You must be Charle, Wendy's cat friend, right?"

Charle perked up. "You've spoken to Wendy? Is she alright? Where is she?"

"We have spoken to her, but we haven't had the chance to rescue her yet," Lucy explained. "That's our next stop after we get you out of here. No time to explain. Where's your guard?"

"His evil little animal dragged him away somewhere," Charle answered.

"Good. Natsu, get her out of that cell before—" Lucy was cut off by the slam of a door. The trio wheeled around and saw a tall man with a large nose and two dark, beady eyes blocking the exit. His appearance reminded Lucy of a rat, but his clothes were lavish silks and ribbons. On his shoulder perched the grinning black creature.

"No, how is that possible?" Charle gasped. "He just came out of nowhere!"

Obra didn't respond. He just took a slow step toward them.

"Run! Get out of here while you can!" Charle screamed.

"No way we're leaving you!" Natsu barked, glaring at his new opponent. "This guy doesn't look so tough."

"You don't understand—" Charle wailed, but it was too late. Natsu shot forward, drawing his fist back for a punch.

Obra's hand shot out and caught Natsu's arm. He twisted it around and threw him into the metal bars of the cell.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked. She pulled Loke's key out and pointed it at Obra, scowling furiously. "_Open, the Gate of the Lion! Leo!_"

Nothing happened.

Lucy's eyes widened and she chanted again, but to no avail. Loke did not appear. She turned to Natsu, who was staring at his hands in bewilderment. "Loke can't hear me!"

"I know! I can't use my Dragonslayer attacks!"

"I can't fly, either!"

"I tried to tell you to run," Charle said. She pointed at Obra, her features twisting in hatred. "It's _him_. Magic doesn't work around him."

Obra stood still the entire time, blinking his beady eyes at them. The creature on his shoulder leapt down and curled around his legs, its chilling grin settling on Lucy. She shuddered. It had vengeance in its eyes.

Slowly, Obra took another step forward.


	89. Fear

**Author's Note:** _Look, an extra-long chapter for an extra-long wait! :D Not much to say here. A lot of questions in the reviews will be addressed in this chapter. Proceed._

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><p><strong>LXXXIX: Fear<strong>

Lucy felt helpless as she watched Obra approach them, but she stood beside Natsu and prepared to fight. Although they had no magic and no weapons, Obra had not indicated any sort of special skill aside from his strange ability to block out other mages' magics. Unless he was a particularly strong fighter, they might have a chance against him and his grinning demon pet. Lucy knew he probably was a strong fighter, but she braced herself and promised to go down kicking and screaming if she had to.

Obra took one more step toward them, then plopped down in the rickety wooden chair.

The trio gazed at him, aghast. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Natsu snarled furiously. "You can't just _sit down_!"

Obra didn't respond. He just stared straight ahead with his beady rat eyes, looking at nothing. This, if anything, only enraged Natsu more. "What, are we not even worth your time or something? You're gonna regret taking a rest, you bastard!"

"It's no use," Charle warned. "He's lazy, so he's not going to fight you if he can avoid it, but he's also not going to let you out of this room. He won't talk to you, he won't even look at you. All he's going to do is send his little creature to fetch his boss. Oh, look, there he goes."

As if on cue, the black thing leapt from Obra's lap and pranced away, melting into the shadows. The doors were all closed, but the creature was not in the room anymore. Lucy shuddered uneasily.

"I've watched him the entire time I've been here," Charle continued. "He's not acknowledged my presence at all. It's like he's sitting there with no purpose, but every time I've tried to escape, he's been there. He just grabs me and puts me back in the cell and sits down again."

"Well, we can't sit here and wait for Ivan to catch us," Natsu growled. At the sound of his master's name, Obra's head sprang up and his eyes settled on Natsu with unnerving intent. He stood up so abruptly that the chair clattered to the floor, and before any of them could react his hand was around Natsu's throat and he was lifting the Dragonslayer into the air, choking the life out of him while his limbs flayed wildly.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked. She rushed forward, but Obra's other hand swept out and he slapped her so hard that she tumbled onto the stone floor. Happy received a similar reprimand, only he hit the ceiling before falling to the floor and didn't get up again.

"Please! Stop it, let him go!" Charle cried from behind bars, but it did no good. Obra's hand only tightened around Natsu's neck. Lucy scrambled up and grabbed the chair, hurling it at the back of Obra's head with all her strength. Natsu's foot made contact with his face at the same time, and the combined assaults were enough to daze Obra into releasing his victim. Natsu tumbled to the ground, coughing violently, while Obra swayed and blinked. Natsu sat up and grinned. "That's more like it," he chuckled. With a wordless cry, he launched himself at Obra's exposed torso and brought him down. The two men exchanged blows at a fantastic rate, so fast that it was a blur in Lucy's eyes. Or whatever was making her ears ring so painfully could have caused it.

She ran over to Happy and scooped him safely into her arms, then rushed over to Charle's cell. "Quickly, how do I get you out of here?" she asked, tugging at the cell door.

"You need a key. As far as I know, only their leader has it."

Lucy screeched and ducked to avoid Natsu's body, which Obra had launched toward her. He hit the metal bars with a sickening crunch, but when he landed on his feet Lucy saw that it was the bars that suffered damage. They were dented where he'd hit them, and the black stone holding them in place was cracked. Both girls looked at him in horror and awe.

"Watch it, Natsu! You could have killed me!" Lucy snapped.

"I can't help it! I'm all fired up! I haven't fought without magic since…hell, since I got my magic!" With a maniacal laugh, he once again charged toward Obra, who was recuperating with a look of slight bafflement.

Charle was still astounded by the warped bars. "Just how hard is his head…?"

"You have no idea," Lucy remarked dryly. She peered at the cracked stone and wrapped her hands around the bars, wiggling them experimentally. Dust rained on her and Charle, but the bars remained intact.

Charle touched Lucy's knee with her paw. "Just forget about me. Go find Wendy and get her away from this place."

"We're getting you both out," said Lucy fiercely. "Besides, you know she wouldn't leave without you. You're all she has left, Charle. Don't dismiss yourself so easily."

The cat blinked and nodded, stepping back from the bars. She looked up, frowning. "We'll need to find another way. We can't force this open."

"You're right," Lucy sighed. "But what—?"

She was interrupted by a giant crash. She wheeled around and saw that while her back was turned, the entire room had been demolished—the chair, the table, hunks of the wall. She watched, flabbergast, as Natsu slammed Obra against the wall, which was now nothing more than a crater.

With an even greater boom, the wall crumbled and the two opponents fell into the next room.

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><p>"So what's the plan now?" Wendy, Romeo, and Gildarts sat in the farthest corner of the dungeon cell, whispering in hushed tones while Flare snoozed on the other side of the bars. Gildarts had just finished explaining everything to Wendy, from the identity of her captor to how the group had found Raven Tail. She absorbed it with a surprising amount of calm, showing no signs of distress other than her wide eyes. It was rather adorable, Gildarts thought. Wendy was a cute, sweet kid. It pained him that she was thrust into this sort of situation, but there was no doubt in his mind that she could handle it. The simple fact that she was asking for a plan was proof enough.<p>

At least it was proof that she was more prepared than Romeo, who, after hearing her question, turned to Gildarts and said, "You have a plan?"

"Of course I have a plan, punk," Gildarts grumbled. "You don't think I seriously let them catch me without formulating a plan, did you?"

"I didn't think you _let_ them catch you at all. I thought we were just caught," Romeo retorted.

"Insolent little…of course I let them catch me! You don't think some mediocre dark mages can get the better of me, do you?!" Gildarts shook his head. "No. I wanted to get a better scope of the situation. Now that I have a pretty good estimate of the manpower Ivan's got, I feel better about this whole thing. He's obviously lacking in resources. Hence the kidnap of one Laxus Dreyar to fuel his deluded schemes."

"So what's this plan of yours?"

"We're going to bust out of here," Gildarts said simply. "I'll destroy the outside wall, we'll grab Laxus and Charle, and be on our merry way."

Romeo frowned. "But what about Raven Tail?"

"I'll deal with Ivan and his goons after we get you and Miss Marvell here safe and sound," said Gildarts sternly. "Saving you children is more important than catching the bad guy."

"I'm not a child," Romeo protested meekly.

"What about the other three?" Wendy inquired. "The Dragonslayer and that woman and their cat?"

"They should be at the rendezvous," Gildarts answered. "All we have to do is meet them there and—"

The old mage's words were swallowed in a gigantic crunch and explosion of dust and rock. He grabbed Romeo and Wendy by the scruffs of their collars and hoisted them off the ground, away from the ruins, putting himself between them and the ruckus. Gildarts squinted as the dust cleared away. He grinned when he saw Natsu wrestling with Obra, the strange man with the blue skin and the big nose. They seemed equally matched—for one moment Natsu was gaining an advantage, and the next Obra was winning. But only one of them was enjoying the battle.

In the next room Gildarts could see bars and three faces, one human, two feline. A white cat lit up when she saw them and squeezed herself in the space between the wall and the bars, making a beeline for the girl. "Wendy!" she sobbed.

"Charle!" The little Dragonslayer scooped her cat into her arms, showing all her sharp teeth in a wide smile.

Lucy waved from the hole, a woozy-looking Happy perched on her shoulder. "Hey, Gildarts, Romeo. We found you."

"I can't wait to hear this story," Gildarts boomed. They all turned to the fight when Natsu yelled in pain. Flare had awakened, and was suspending Natsu in the air using her long red tresses so he couldn't throw a punch. Gildarts scowled and removed one black glove from his hand. He pressed it to the floor, and the entire wall to the outside collapsed into dust. "Romeo," he barked, "get Wendy and Charle out of here."

"But—"

"Now!" Gildarts didn't give him time to argue—he rushed into the mêlée, obliterating the bars of the cell before leaping onto Obra. He punched, but was shocked when nothing was destroyed. It was just a normal punch.

"Gildarts!" Lucy screamed. "Magic doesn't work around him!"

"Oh." He had time to say only that before Obra was on him. Obra was obviously the most important to eliminate—his ability was the greatest hindrance. Once Gildarts's magic was back, he could break them out of there in no time. He swung a fist and hit flesh, but it was as solid and unyielding as rock.

Gildarts threw himself at Obra with all his force, but without his magic it was the force of an ordinary man. Natsu and Lucy were tangled up with Flare and weren't making much progress either. Romeo wished he could help, but he knew that it was his priority to get Wendy and Charle out alive.

"Come on," Happy urged, joining them. He fluttered toward the hole in the wall. "This way, you three!"

Romeo grabbed Wendy's hand and tugged her outside, away from the mêlée, but she stubbornly withdrew her hand and planted her feet. "What are you doing?!" he hissed.

"I can't leave them," Wendy protested. "It's not right."

"Wendy, there's nothing you can do but take advantage of this opportunity they've given you," Charle argued. "You can't use your Dragonslayer magic to help them."

"But what if I can? Look, that Flare woman can use her magic even though Obra's around. He obviously has to focus on whoever's magic he's canceling out. If he doesn't know I'm in there, he can't cancel out my magic."

"He'll notice when you start fighting," Romeo pointed out.

Wendy raised her eyebrows at him. "Who said anything about fighting?"

"You aren't thinking—" Charle began, but Wendy cut her off.

"Just trust me," she said. Then she wheeled around and dove back into the dungeon, creeping along the shadows of the cell. Trying to smother his smile, Romeo followed her, ordering the two cats to stay outside—they were too conspicuous for sneaking. Obra was too preoccupied with Gildarts to notice them as they crawled across the stone floor. The fighting was becoming truly horrific now. Both parties were bloodied and bruised, the room fairing just as well. It seemed as like the Raven Tail goons were gaining the upper hand, though.

Wendy stopped at the large, man-shaped lump on the floor. Carefully she pressed her palm to Laxus Dreyar's forehead and began muttering rapidly in a strange, fluid tongue, closing her eyes in concentration.

Suddenly the door to the dungeon swung open with enough force to wrench it from its hinges. The entire room gave a booming rattle, like the seismic shakes of an earthquake, raining dust and debris on everyone. Dark magic spilled from the threshold in torrents. The little demon creature prowled out of the shadows, grinning at them all. From behind it a tall, hard man with sharp features and a sinister black beard strode in, dressed ornately in a dark cape. Romeo knew that this was Ivan Dreyar, the exiled criminal from Magnolia Town, son of Makarov Dreyar and master of Raven Tail Castle.

Romeo looked over at Wendy, but her eyes were still closed and she was still muttering. Her hand was emitting a faint blue glow. Beads of sweat rolled down Laxus's face, reflecting it.

Ivan took a step into the room, doing a quick survey. Flare and Obra immediately froze, but Natsu, Lucy, and Gildarts didn't have time to advance—within seconds, white paper things shaped like humans were holding them back. "Shikigami!" Gildarts hissed, struggling against it.

"How observant," Ivan drawled. Flare and Obra returned to his side, looking down at the ground. His eyes moved slowly from Gildarts to his subordinates, remaining cruel and emotionless. "One of you tell me what is going on."

It was clear that Flare did not want to be the bearer of bad news, but Obra's mouth was firmly closed and he had the blank stare in his beady eyes once again. "I was just in here watching the prisoners work on Laxus, when these two"—she gestured to Natsu and Lucy, who were struggling against the shikigamis—"burst through that wall, fighting Obra like schoolchildren on the playground."

"And then?"

"And…then I joined the fight," Flare murmured nervously.

"What about him?" Ivan said softly, pointing at Gildarts. "How did he get out? What about the gaping hole in that cell? What about—?" His eyes finally found Wendy and Romeo crouched down next to Laxus. He was shocked for a moment, absorbing the sight. Then he scowled. "Stop, you stupid bitch! Someone stop her!"

Romeo stood up before anyone could react and hurled his newly-learned fire magic at Obra. Bright flames engulfed the evil mage, blinding him and singeing his fancy, bloodied clothes. Ivan and Flare dove out of the way. Wendy's voice hitched with panic, her chanting growing louder and faster. Her hand glowed brighter. Romeo threw as much fire as he could into the room, shouting nonsense at the top of his lungs, hoping to disorient the Raven Tail crew and buy her some time.

Suddenly what feeble flames he was able to produce were gone, and he was just a boy screaming in the middle of a dungeon cell with an angry, crispy dark mage glaring at him. The shikigami holding back his companions were burned away, but even they were too slow to react as Wendy's spellweaving came to a halt and her hand let out a single flash of blinding white light.

Then Laxus Dreyar opened his eyes.

Wendy sat up, glaring at her abductors. "I know who you are, Ivan Dreyar," she told the leader, looking him squarely in the eye. "Are you going to keep your word and let us go?"

"Stupid girl," Ivan growled. "Only a fool keeps false promises. And if you think that waking up my son is going to help you, you are sorely mistaken."

"Fine, but just remember that I gave you a chance," Wendy said shakily. She sucked in a deep breath.

"Obra, neutralize her!" Ivan ordered.

Obra raised his hand, and a streak of blinding yellow lightning struck him where he stood. He collapsed to the ground, baked and unconscious. Laxus sat up, glaring at his father.

Romeo gave Wendy a look of approval. "You distracted him, hoping that Laxus would strike."

She nodded, smiling shyly.

"That was clever," he praised.

"Clever," Laxus agreed, not even sparing them a glance, "but foolish. Trust no one to do what you expect of them. Trust no one, period." He shakily got to his feet. "Isn't that right, Pops?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ivan replied with an instigating smirk.

"Let me refresh your memory. I was exiled from Fiore and came to you for help, offering you my loyalty and my service in exchange for nothing other than a pardon when you took the throne—I didn't even want a royal status! And what did you do? You knocked me out, put me in chains, and had this little girl experiment on me just so you could get my lacrima." Sparks ignited from his fingers.

"Watch out!" Charle and Happy zoomed in and knocked Wendy and Romeo out of the way as Laxus shot lightning at his father. It was so close to them that Romeo felt his hair stand on end.

A shikigami crumbled in front of Ivan, but he was unharmed. He looked livid. "You have just made a huge mistake," he growled. Flare's hair shot out and wrapped around Laxus's wrists and ankles, but he only grabbed it in his hands and zapped her. She fell to the floor with a scream, her hair frizzing and going limp.

"Salamander, get everyone out of here and handle the other Ravens," Laxus demanded, taking a step forward. "Leave Ivan to me."

"I don't think so," Natsu said as he struggled to his feet. "I don't take orders from you, and I'm not letting you out of my sight. Gildarts and Lucy can handle the others. I'm staying here to make sure you're not up to something."

"Great, now _I'm_ the one taking orders," Gildarts muttered crossly. Nevertheless he stood, jogging over to Romeo and Wendy, Lucy following suit.

Wendy screamed as Obra's demon creature leapt from the shadows and landed on her head, chuckling darkly. It pawed at her cheeks while she struggled to get it off—landing right into the embrace of Ivan Dreyar. He clutched her arms and used her like a shield, despite her desperate attempts to fight out of his grasp. The creature hopped onto Ivan's shoulder, licking a bloody paw. Wendy's cheek had three deep scratches across it.

"Wendy!" Charle shrieked. Happy held her back as she lurched forward to attack Ivan.

"Let the girl go," Laxus said over all the outraged cries from the rest of the witnesses. "She has no part in this."

"Oh, but she does. This was the girl who put you in a coma. She was going to kill you to get out the lacrima and save her own skin. Don't you think that makes her involved, son?"

"Liar!" Wendy accused. "I would never take a life! My magic is for healing, not killing!"

"Laxus, I swear if you hurt her—" Lucy began.

"I'm not the one using her as a human body shield," Laxus protested. "I think I'm the last person you should be threatening, Blondie." He turned his attention back to his father. "This is low, Ivan, even for you. Hiding behind a little girl? You're a coward. Fight me fair and square, like a real man."

"He's starting to sound like Elfman," Happy whispered to Romeo.

"If you think you're going to goad me into releasing her, you're wrong," Ivan sighed. "Unlike you, I'm not enraged by insults. I have a level head. And this little girl owes me. She made a deal with me and she broke it."

"You broke it, you bastard!" Romeo shouted. "You told her that if she guessed your name, you'd let her and Charle and Laxus go! She held up her end of the bargain!"

"Is that runt still over there?" Ivan said with distaste, wrinkling his nose. Laxus took the opportunity and shot lightning near Ivan. His father ducked to avoid it, shoving Wendy in front of him. The girl squeaked when the lightning missed and two arms were suddenly around her, pulling her from Ivan. Laxus threw her at Lucy.

"Go, now!" he roared. Then he plowed into Ivan, sending them both sprawling to the ground.

Romeo grabbed Happy and Charle. "Come on, this way!" he directed, waving an arm at the others. If the electricity in the room was any indication, things were about to get really ugly and really dangerous. Lucy shoved Wendy in front of her, running behind Gildarts toward the gaping hole to the outside. Natsu remained behind, his hands bursting into flame as he, too, joined the fight between the Dreyars.

"I don't like this splitting up," Gildarts complained as they ran from the fortress.

"Natsu will be fine," Lucy assured him. "We need to focus on finding the other two henchmen and getting these kids back on the ground before something really bad happens."

"We can take care of that," Happy offered, gesturing to himself and Charle. "You two go on."

"We're not leaving!" Romeo objected, coming to a halt. "I'm not, anyway. I have as much of a right to fight as you do, and I'm not a child anymore! I've got magic, it's about time I use it!"

"I'm not leaving either," Wendy said, stopping beside him. "I'm not defenseless, you know. I'm a Sky Dragonslayer. We are in the sky. I'm thinking I might be an advantage."

Gildarts put a hand on Romeo's shoulder. "You've done enough already, Romeo. You rescued Wendy—hell, you rescued us all. I'm so proud of you, and I know your father would be, too. Now it's time to finish the job."

"And we don't doubt that you're a force to be reckoned with, Wendy," Lucy added. "But you're probably pretty weak from using so much magic to wake up Laxus, in addition to being prisoner for three days. It will make us all feel better if you go."

Charle touched her leg. "Please, Wendy. Do it for me."

Wendy and Romeo glanced at each other, disappointed and resigned. "Okay," they surrendered.

"What touching speeches." Two figures appeared from the clouds—a fat purple man with a prominent double chin and a tall skinny man with black lips and hair. It was the purple man who'd spoken. Lucy recognized his voice as that of Nullpuding, the man who she and Natsu eavesdropped talking to Flare outside the fortress only a few hours ago. The other one must have been Kurohebi, the man she'd heard from inside the wardrobe.

"It's a shame we've got to kill you now," he said, confirming it.

"I'd like to see you try," Gildarts said. "Romeo, Wendy, go now."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, kittens," Nullpuding warned. Spikes sprouted from his meaty purple arms. "My friend Mr. Kurohebi likes chasing things that run away from him in fear."

"Don't worry, you two, he's not getting past me," Lucy said, grabbing a key from the keyring on her belt.

Regardless, Romeo tried to tell himself that he wasn't afraid as he took Wendy's hand and sprinted away.


	90. Rabbit Heart

**Author's Note: **_Chapter 90, guys! It's gotten to the point where I have to look up the roman numerals. Sad, but true. On a different note, I'm serving up some NaLu teasers and RoWen lurve and even some cute kitty scenes in this chapter and chapters to come! Yay! A lot of you have asked if there's going to be any romance between Cana and Laxus, and I'm sorry to say the answer is no. I know it's a popular pairing, but it's not my favorite, and it doesn't go with the next arc I have planned. So, before any of you get your hopes up, there will be absolutely no contact between Laxus and Cana in this story. At all. Period._

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><p><strong>XC: Rabbit Heart<strong>

"Well," Lucy said, "that was easy."

She looked down at the unconscious opponents that she and Gildarts had faced—or, rather, that Gildarts had beaten to a bloody pulp before she could even summon a Celestial Spirit. He smugly replaced the gloves over his hands, which had been the cause of all the destruction. "I'm not the duke of one of the biggest towns in Fiore for nothing," he said. "If I let punks like that slow me down, I don't deserve the title."

Lucy shrugged and poked Nullpuding with her foot. "So what do we do with them?"

"We'll leave them here. It's not like they're going anywhere. We need to go help Natsu and figure out what's really going on."

"But what about Wendy and Romeo?"

"Romeo can take care of it. He's a capable mage for his age, and I'm willing to bet the Dragonslayer girl is a force to reckon with as well. They don't have anyone coming after them. They'll be fine."

"Right," Lucy said. "Let's go help—"

She was interrupted by a giant explosion that knocked them off their feet and sent them sprawling into the mist. Lucy blinked dust out of her eyes and looked up to see the cause of the ruckus. It looked like Natsu and Laxus had managed to put aside their differences and were squaring off against Ivan, who had evidently demolished his own castle. Dark magic swirled around them in a suffocating miasma, but even so it was clear that Ivan was on the losing end of the battle. He had the look of a wild animal in his eye, bright and desperate and afraid.

"You okay?" Gildarts called from somewhere on her right.

"Yes, I'm fine!" she yelled back. She crawled over to him and helped him up. He had a bleeding wound on his head from the fall. "I think you're getting too old for this, Gildarts."

"Shut up!" He squinted at the battle. Natsu and Laxus were mercilessly attacking Ivan with Dragonslayer lightning and fire. Ivan didn't bother to defend himself—he just shot magic right back at them. Gildarts frowned. "Something's not right here."

"What do you mean? We're winning!"

"Yeah, but…this is too easy." Gildarts looked around. His hands trailed over the invisible barrier. "Lucy, what do you think is keeping this barrier up?"

"I don't know…they want to use Laxus's lacrima for it, so I'm guessing a different lacrima that's running low on power."

"Laxus's Golden Egg lacrima is a stable source of energy that will probably last five lifetimes," Gildarts murmured to himself. "It's very powerful, which is why it gives Laxus the abilities that he has. They must be using a weaker lacrima…Ivan only disappeared a few years ago, and already it's failing…but where are they keeping it? Unless…"

"Um…Gildarts? What are you thinking?"

"Ivan is a powerful mage. Powerful enough to elude Makarov, which is an impressive feat. That means that it shouldn't be this easy to defeat him. That means…" Gildarts eyes widened. He leapt to his feet. "Oh, shit. We've got to tell them to stop."

"Stop? Stop what? Gildarts, what's going on?!" Lucy scrambled and ran after him as he headed into the heart of the battle. Ivan was on his last leg. Another few hits and he would be down for the count.

"Ivan! Ivan is what's keeping the barrier up!" Gildarts explained. "All of his mages were relatively easy to defeat—because they're all sharing the burden of keeping the barrier flying! Now that all of his mages are knocked out and drained of magical energy, Ivan is the only one sustaining it! That's why he's so much weaker than he should be!"

"Still not seeing how this is a problem for us."

"If they defeat Ivan, the barrier will fall!"

Lucy gaped. "Okay, starting to see now. But why would he do that? Everyone in Raven Tail will die too! Including him!"

"Ivan doesn't care. He'd rather die than accept defeat!" Gildarts was upon the battle now, in the line of fire. He waved his arms in the air, trying to get Natsu's and Laxus's attentions. "Stop! Don't fight him! It's a trap!"

Natsu noticed him and frowned, looking befuddled. "A trap? What are you—?"

The three of them were assaulted by an onslaught of shikigami, which exploded in front of their faces. A wave of dark magic pushed them down so only Laxus was standing. The young fugitive scowled and raised a hand toward his father.

"Laxus, don't!" Lucy screamed.

It was too late. The lightning shot from the sky, engulfing Ivan in electricity. His maniacal laughter was more terrifying than any shriek of agony as he was electrocuted into unconsciousness. Ivan collapsed, but he didn't hit the solid barrier. He just kept falling and falling and falling.

Laxus watched, eyes wide with shock and horror. "What the—?"

Then they could all feel it—the barrier was dissolving beneath them, growing steadily thinner like the melting of ice over a frozen lake. "Let's go! Everyone run to the beanstalk!" Gildarts shouted, waving his arms. He didn't have to say it twice. Everyone was up and sprinting in that direction, keeping an eye out for the tip of the huge green stalk.

Lucy's lungs burned and her legs were on fire. The barrier was soft beneath her feet, like walking through fine sand instead of solid rock. They had less than minutes to reach the beanstalk, but they couldn't even see it yet. They didn't even know if they were going in the right direction. The clouds were too thick.

"I see it!" Natsu shouted, pointing. The tip of the beanstalk was visible in the distance, a little to their left. They adjusted course, but it was clear that time was almost out. The barrier was now riddled with holes like Swiss cheese, and was about as soft as that, too. Lucy almost broke her ankle at least twice.

"We're…not going to…make it," Laxus wheezed behind them. He screeched to a stop, causing everyone in front of him to stop and look back.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Natsu snarled. "We don't have time for this!"

"We don't have time at all!" Laxus retorted. "You guys keep going! I'll keep it the barrier intact for as long as I can!"

"Wha—how?!"

Laxus got down on his knees and pressed his palms to the barrier. Lucy gasped when she felt the barrier toughen up under her feet. "He's transferring the energy from his lacrima to the barrier," Gildarts said in wonderment. "Laxus, what are you doing? The lacrima can't sustain the barrier and your body at the same time! You'll kill yourself, forcing energy out of your natural body like that!"

"We'll all die anyway if I don't!" Laxus was already looking pale. "Just _go_, damn it!"

"Like hell—" Natsu began, but Lucy touched his arm gently.

"There's nothing else we can do. This is the only option, you know it." She nodded at Laxus. "Thank you."

"Fucking _go_ already!"

Lucy grabbed Natsu and Gildarts and sprinted toward the beanstalk like her life depended on it—because, well, it kind of did. The silhouette emerged from the clouds, as big as Raven Tail Castle. As they neared it, four other shapes became clear. Romeo, Wendy, Charle, and Happy clung to the beanstalk, waving at them.

"Romeo!" Gildarts roared. "I told you to get her to safety!"

"There's no way I was going to leave you here, old man!" Romeo replied. "Be careful, the barrier is almost gone over here. Happy and Charle will have to carry you to the beanstalk."

The cats ferried the three of them over, and then the group began to climb down as quickly as possible, eager to get back on stable, solid ground.

"Did you defeat Ivan?" Wendy inquired.

"Yes. Laxus did. You definitely won't have to worry about Ivan anymore," Lucy answered, remembering how he fell through the barrier, presumably to his death. It pained her that the rest of Raven Tail was probably going to meet the same fate, unless they miraculously figured out a way to fly. She sincerely hoped they made it.

"Wait, where _is_ Laxus?" the little Dragonslayer said, noticing his absence.

"He…he stayed behind so the rest of us could get to safety."

"What?" Wendy looked aghast. "Why would you let him do that?"

"Wendy…" Charle chastised gently.

"It's what he wanted to do," Lucy said. "Without him we all could have died."

Wendy nodded silently, tears filling her eyes. She wiped them away.

"Wait! Look over there!" Natsu hollered. They followed his line of sight and saw a humanoid figure falling through the air not far from them. "Happy!"

"Aye!" Happy zipped toward it at maximum speed, nearly invisible in the dense clouds. The group waited, poised on the beanstalk, for him to return.

He did, carrying a pale but breathing Laxus in his paws.

They erupted into cheers. The blue cat blushed at the praise, particularly when Charle let out hoot and said, "Great flying, Happy!"

"I can't believe it," Gildarts said, shaking his head. "That's amazing. Laxus should be dead."

"We should all be dead," Romeo pointed out.

"Happy, fly to the ground with Laxus," Natsu suggested. "We'll meet you down there after we're done climbing this stupid thing."

"Aye!" Happy said again. He began his descent. The rest of them watched enviously, daunted at the prospect of climbing all the way down the tall beanstalk.

"I wish I had wings," Romeo sighed.

It took them a while to pick their way down the beanstalk, which was scarier but easier than climbing up. They were completely aware of how high they were the entire time, but even if they slipped they hit a giant leaf only a few feet under them. Eventually they just began leaping from leaf to leaf.

"You know what I just realized?" Natsu said as they took a brief rest.

"What?" Lucy inquired.

"The castle. Don't you think we would have seen it fall? Or heard it, at the very least?"

The others pondered the idea. It seemed logical. "Are you saying that it might still be up in the sky?" Wendy said.

"I don't know. But I can't think of another reason why we wouldn't have noticed it falling."

"Perhaps some of Ivan's goons woke up and managed to sustain the barrier holding up the castle," Gildarts suggested. "I guarantee that Obra is powerful enough. Maybe Flare, too."

Romeo looked back up the beanstalk miserably. "Does this mean we have to climb it again?"

Everyone laughed. "No, I think that as long as Ivan's out of the picture, we won't have any more trouble from Raven Tail Castle," Gildarts assured him. "And if we do, I'll take care of it."

Strangely, Natsu's observation made Lucy feel better. Something about leaving all those people to fall to their death, even if they were dark mages, hadn't settled right with her. Gildarts was probably right, though. Someone had probably woken up and sustained the barrier long enough to pull their colleagues to safety and wake them up.

The sun was setting by the time they reached the ground. "Looks like we're making camp here again," Gildarts declared. "We'll continue walking tomorrow."

"Finally, you're back!" Happy rushed over to them, looking worried. "Something's wrong with Laxus. He still hasn't woken up, and his breathing is weird. It's like something's suffocating him."

They gathered around the place where Laxus lay. He was waxy and pale, breaths coming out in shuddering gasps that shook his whole body. A sheen of sweat covered his brow and the scar over his eye stood out like a red lightning bolt.

Wendy crept close to his side and pressed her ear against his chest as he wheezed. She ran her hands over his forehead, frowning. "His biological systems are resetting," she diagnosed. "His heartbeat is off, too. He's gone into shock because of all the energy he used to sustain the barrier, and it's made his body unstable."

"What can we do?" Romeo asked.

"Not much," Wendy sighed. "He'll pull through, but he's going to be very sick tonight and maybe tomorrow. I'll gather some herbs to help with the pain and speed up the process."

"I'll come with you."

"Don't wander too far," Gildarts said as the two adolescents headed into the trees. Romeo waved a nonchalant hand over his shoulder. "We'll make camp while they're doing that. I'll collect some firewood. Would you two go look for some food? We didn't pack for an extra day, and we'll probably need to feed all these stragglers, too. Charle, Happy, will you watch over Laxus?"

They went their separate ways. Lucy scanned the foliage around her, but it all looked like a blur of brown leaves and dead branches. "How are we supposed to find food? It's all dead!"

"You just have to know where to look," Natsu said. "Look, over there, that's a satsuma tree."

"What's a satsuma?"

"Kind of like an orange. They're good, you'll like them. And I saw some leeks earlier. There are also wild onions, radishes, chicory…and we could catch game. I bet one of your Spirits could spear a rabbit."

"I'm not going to ask one of my Celestial Spirits to slaughter a rabbit," said Lucy, placing a hand over her keys protectively.

"Okay. I'll do it, then. I've done it before." They wandered over to the satsuma tree, which had some fruit hanging heavy from its branches. Natsu climbed up and began picking satsumas, putting them in his pack. "Hey, did you ever figure out what that cross key was?"

"No…I could do it now."

"Probably a good idea. You don't want anyone asking too many questions about your magic."

Lucy nodded and grabbed the new silver key. She closed her eyes and breathed until the words came to her. "_Open, the Gate of the Southern Cross! Crumudgeon!_" Lucy didn't know where the name came from, but it seemed right, somehow. Like it belonged.

The ornate cross appeared, but this time he had humanoid features—eyes and a mouth centered in the great silver and gold cross, a cross-shaped mustache, thin arms and legs and a skinny body protruding from the back, dressed in elegant medieval clothes. "Lady Lucy Heartphilia," he greeted warmly. "It is a pleasure."

Lucy was taken back. "How did you know my name?"

"The same way you knew mine," Crumudgeon said. He cracked open one eye and tapped his thick cross head. "Magic. Although I do prefer it if you called me Crux. _Crumudgeon_ is a mouthful."

"So other Spirits do have nicknames," Lucy murmured to herself, thinking of her brother.

"Yes, some of us do. I assume _you're_ referring to your twin brother, Lord Loke Heartphilia, who currently inhabits the Leo Zodiac key."

"How did you know that?" Lucy exclaimed.

"Did you make a mind reader key?" Natsu said, hanging upside-down from a branch to gape at Crux.

"I am not a mind reader, but I was born with an infinite knowledge of the entire Celestial Spirit world and all key holders," Crux explained. "For instance, I have no idea who _you_ are, although I know everything about Lady Lucy, her brother, and every other Celestial Spirit and key holder."

"Wow," Lucy breathed. "You really know all that? Wait, does that mean you can tell me about my mother? Queen Layla Heartphilia?"

"There is a limited amount of information I can tell you. I am bound by strict rules to keep the balance between words. However, I can divulge information about your mother to you. I cannot give you information about any living key holder or Celestial Mage, though, nor any keys that are not in your possession."

"Did my mother know she was a Celestial Mage?"

"She knew that she was _not_ a Celestial Mage," Crux answered. "The Hart gene that causes that magic skips generations. She could use golden Zodiac keys like any other person, but she could not create silver keys like you can. She had two golden keys—Aquarius and Cancer—passed down from her mother, who was indeed a Celestial Mage. After her death, Aquarius and Cancer were both sold by your father, Lord Jude Heartphilia, and scattered. Aquarius ended up in the hands of a sailor who accidentally dropped her into the ocean around the sunken city of Atlantis, where she was adopted by King Lock, who was already in possession of Pisces. Cancer was sold to a jeweler who had no clue of his true potential and was made into a necklace that passed from woman to woman until he finally ended up on display in Alzack's Accessories and Ammunition."

"Woah! That's amazing!" Natsu said.

"That is impressive," Lucy agreed. "So…my mother didn't have this power. Only Karin and Angel did. Am I the last one?"

"I'm afraid so, my lady," Crux admitted. "However, if you were to birth a female child, she would have the power as well. The pattern of inheritance seems to be for every three female births, the fourth is born without. Your daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter will all be Celestial Mages. Your line is the last to carry the gene since the deaths of Angel and Karin, who had no siblings."

Lucy felt a bit faint. "Gr-great…granddaughter…?"

"I think Romeo and Wendy are coming," Natsu hissed, tilting his head in one direction. He flipped out of the tree. "Better save this conversation for later."

"Right. See you later, Crux."

"Farewell, my lady." He disappeared with a pop.

"Useful Spirit," Natsu remarked.

"They all are," Lucy said, hooking Crux back onto her keyring.

Romeo and Wendy emerged from the foliage, their arms full of herbs. Wendy was laughing, her smile wide and bright. They both froze when they noticed Natsu and Lucy, blushing identically vivid shades of red. "Oh! What are you two doing here?" the little Dragonslayer implored.

"Just looking for food," Natsu said, holding up the bag. "Did you get all the herbs you need?"

"Yes, we were just heading back," she replied.

"Do you need any help searching?" Romeo offered.

"No, we're fine," Lucy said. The youngsters nodded sheepishly and walked past them back to camp, faces still flushed with embarrassment. Lucy grinned after them. "How cute are they? Young love, how sweet!"

"What are you talking about?" Natsu said, peeling a satsuma and stuffing it in his mouth.

"Even you can't be that blind! They are totally into each other! Did you see how they blushed when we caught them flirting? So cute!" Lucy tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Happy is falling hard for Charle, too, but I'm not sure if the feeling is mutual."

"You're crazy, Lucy."

"I'm not! Gildarts has noticed it, too. Why do you think he paired everyone up? Wendy and Romeo, Happy and Charle…"

"You and me?"

Lucy opened her mouth and closed it, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She didn't know what to do. Should she say something? Did she even _feel_ anything that required saying?

"Well…we were obviously a default," her mouth spoke of its own accord. Instantly she was kicking herself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ But she didn't know why. Was she upset because she didn't take the shot, or was she was only imagining things?

Natsu set the pack on the ground, staring at her. He crept slowly toward her, footsteps silent on the forest floor. "Don't move," he whispered. His gaze was intense. Lucy's cheeks grew even warmer. Her heart hammered in her chest. Was he tired of waiting for her to make the first move? Was he going to kiss her? Lucy didn't know what she would do if he kissed her. She hadn't ever done it before. What if she was bad at it?

He shot forward suddenly, nearly knocking her over. There was a crack, and she heard him exclaim, "Ah ha!" When he stood up, he had a dead brown rabbit by the ears. "Look, I told you I could catch one."

Enraged, Lucy pushed him back to the ground. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she shrieked, but she wasn't sure if she was scolding herself or Natsu.

"What the—what did I do?!"

"Just…just go dig up some leeks or something!" Lucy ordered. "I'm going back to camp!"

"But why? Lucy! Lucy, will you at least take the rabbit with you?"

"No!" Lucy felt a lot like the rabbit right now. She wasn't about to parade it to the fire like it was a trophy. She stomped back to the campsite, leaving Natsu sprawled in the dirt, utterly confused.


	91. Redemption

**Author's Note:** _Kind of a wrap-up chapter for the Beanstalk arc. From now on the arcs will probably move a bit faster, since there's only two or three left. The end is near...but not super near. Don't worry._

_On a different note...I wrote this entire chapter in one sitting. Over 2,000 words. After reading like twenty Cracked articles (because I'm addicted to that website now). Be impressed. Be very impressed._

* * *

><p><strong>XCI: Redemption<strong>

Lucy woke up from a restless sleep, uncomfortable in her bedroll. It was black night—the stars were bright and beautiful in the velvet sky, pinpricks of heavenly light. She allowed herself a moment to appreciate the view before the urgent bodily function that had awoken her brought her attention back to matters at hand. Yawning, she slipped out of her bedroll toward the edge of the forest.

"Lucy?" The girl in questioned turned around and saw Romeo on watch duty. He sat on a log around the fire, obviously in deep conversation with Wendy, who had evidently decided that Laxus needed attendance. Lucy smiled secretly to herself.

"Just using the bathroom," she explained drowsily. "Or lack thereof. Don't mind me."

The two adolescents seemed satisfied with that answer. Lucy resumed her small journey, sneaking sly glances over her shoulder periodically until she reached the tree line.

She felt much better after she finished her business. _Can't wait to have an actual bathroom in Onibus_, she thought bitterly. Camping had many downsides, most of which she had adjusted to—bugs, sleeping on the hard ground, bland food cooked over a fire, the need for guard shifts—but it was the lack of indoor plumbing that she had yet to accept. After nights without a shower or toilet, she felt just plain dirty.

Lucy was making her way back when a hand caught her wrist. Another covered her mouth before she had the chance to scream. "Don't say a word," a female voice hissed. Lucy recognized it as Flare's, and dread settled in her stomach. "I'm going to release you, but you're not going to say a word or make any sudden movements or I'll dismember your unsuspecting friends with my hair, understood?"

Lucy nodded. Flare released her and she slowly turned around to face the sorceress. Lucy could barely make her out in the darkness, but she recognized the shining gleam of her dangerous red locks. "So you all survived, even Laxus. I shouldn't be surprised. In fact, I'm glad. Now you can tell me what I need to know." Flare glared at her. "Where's Ivan?"

"I…I don't know," Lucy said honestly. "He fell through the barrier after Laxus defeated him, and then the barrier started to dissolve. I can only assume—"

"Shut up!" Flare's hair coiled around Lucy's wrist and squeezed painfully. Lucy bit her lip to keep from crying out. "Shut up! Master Ivan was _not_ defeated. Laxus played right into his hands."

Lucy shook her head. "Flare…don't you see what he's done to you? Ivan _was_ defeated—he gave up on the battle. He would have rather seen all of us die than just admit it. He would have seen you die."

"Shut up!" The hair squeezed tighter, but Lucy continued.

"He didn't care about you, Flare. You were just a tool to him, someone he could use to get what he wanted. I know he beat you up, too—I can see the bruises. He took out his anger on you, and that's not okay. If he really cared about you, about any of you, he would have shown you more respect. Instead he treated you like trash."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Flare exclaimed. "Master Ivan loved Raven Tail. We were his pride and joy, and we were going to restore his honor. Makarov should have retired years ago and given his title to his son, where it rightfully belonged. Makarov is the greedy, power-hungry monster! When Ivan tried to flee Magnolia with Laxus in the hopes of a better life, Makarov refused to allow him because he had planned to implant the Golden Egg lacrima in Laxus the entire time!"

"Is that what he told you?!" Lucy said. "He lied! That's not what happened, Flare. Ivan _killed_ people in order to get that lacrima, and the only reason he took Laxus along was to use him against Makarov if he decided to pursue. Makarov didn't even know the lacrima was inside Laxus until the night of Fried's birthday party. Ivan knew that he wouldn't be able to escape with Laxus or the lacrima, so he fused them together in the hopes that one day he could recruit Laxus to his cause and use him just like he used you!"

"Liar!" Flare shrieked.

"I'm telling the truth," Lucy said. Her arm felt like it was getting ready to break. "Listen to me, please. I know you're not a bad person. You probably just didn't have anywhere else to go. I've been there. I know what it's like to fall in the clutches of someone who doesn't care about you. I know what it's like to be used."

"What do you know about anything, Blondie? You live a perfect little life with your perfect little friends," Flare sniffed. "Do you know why I'm the only one who's talking to you right now? Because the rest of Raven Tail scattered when they realized that Ivan was gone. They didn't care about him. They didn't care that I had saved them. All they care about is themselves. They left me in this forest to rot in my search for our master. So tell me, what do you know about being used?"

"Before I met Natsu, I lived with a man who only kept me alive in the hopes of cultivating my magic for his own evil purposes," Lucy said. "I went along with it, too, because I thought that he would make me a better mage. In reality he was going to kill me or enslave me. Natsu told me his plans, but I wouldn't believe him until it was almost too late." She tentatively reached out a hand and gently placed it on Flare's shoulder. "I can't tell you if Ivan survived the fall or not. But I can tell you that it doesn't matter. He's not going to stick around anymore than the others did. And you shouldn't go looking for him. He won't change. All he'll do is use you again."

Tears streamed down Flare's cheeks in silent torrents. Her hair slipped from Lucy's wrist, falling limply to the ground in surrender. "I d-don't have anywhere else to go," she whimpered.

Lucy smiled and reached out her hand. "Then come with me."

* * *

><p>Romeo and Wendy practically woke everyone up with their shouts when they saw Lucy leading Flare to camp. Lucy could feel Flare's resistance, but she kept a firm grasp on her hand as she explained the situation. It took a lot of persuading, arguing, and interrogating, but eventually everyone in the group agreed on what to do about the ex-dark mage.<p>

It was dawn before the meeting adjourned. Tempers were still hot, particularly Natsu's and Romeo's, but the matter was irrefutably settled. Gildarts and the two cats left to forage for breakfast, while Wendy remained to tend to Laxus and the two sulking boys refused to let Flare out of their sight. Lucy rolled their eyes at them, but knew that their skepticism was justified. She treated Flare with kindness while staying wary for signs of betrayal.

Gildarts, Happy, and Charle brought back berries and small bird eggs to eat. The breakfast left everyone hungrier than before, but it would give them the energy to finish their trek to Onibus.

After much debate, Wendy had decided to accompany the group to the town. "There's nothing left for me at Cat Shelter except memories," she sighed. "It's time for me to venture out and see the world. I can't dwell on the past. I need to make a future."

Charle agreed with her decision, stubbornly insisting that she would follow Wendy to the ends of Earthland and beyond. Gildarts offered to house them as honored guests in Cornelia Castle until such time they saw fit to leave. "I think my physicians will be very excited to meet you," he said. "And my daughter will absolutely adore you!"

Romeo and Happy both grinned when Wendy declared her intentions. Romeo immediately regaled the little Dragonslayer with his misadventures whilst living in Onibus, while Happy tried and failed to impress Charle with some flowers he'd picked.

"I have the feeling we'll be in Onibus for a while," Lucy whispered to Natsu, watching Charle reject the bouquet with her usual haughtiness.

"Aye," Natsu agreed, shaking his head. He glanced at her and then over her shoulder at Flare. His gaze hardened. "Are you sure about her, Luce? What if Ivan somehow survived and she runs into him?"

"I don't think you need to worry. This is her opportunity for a new life. A better one," Lucy said. "If there's one thing I'm starting to figure out from all our adventures, it's that hardly anyone is truly evil. Sometimes they just don't know any differently. The Raijinshuu, Gajeel, Oracion Seis, the Trimens…all they needed was someone to reach out to them. That's all Flare needs. That's all I needed."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, giving her a wide, sunny grin. "I'm glad I could be the one to reach out to you, Lucy."

"Ha! Who said I was talking about you?"

"Weren't you?"

Lucy blushed. "Yes. I'm glad you reached out to me, too."

"Everyone, Laxus is regaining consciousness!" Wendy announced, interrupting their conversation. They all clamored over to the Lightning Dragonslayer, kneeling around him with anxious expressions. Laxus groaned and slowly opened his eyes, blinking as the crowd around him came into focus.

"Shit," he rasped.

"What kind of greeting is that?" Gildarts snapped indignantly. "Seriously, to the people who saved your life?"

"I didn't ask you to," Laxus pointed out. "You could have just let me die. I would have."

"Don't be ridiculous. You saved all our lives. We owe you a great debt," said Wendy.

"Or we did, until we saved yours," Happy piped up. "Now we're even."

"Oh, you're the little girl from the dungeon. I remember you put me in that coma," Laxus said, his blue eyes shifting to Wendy.

"Yeah…sorry about that."

"Don't be," he said, closing his eyes again. "You did me a favor. I didn't have to listen to Ivan's endless diabolical monologues. Now, will someone tell me what happened? And what the hell is that bitch"—he nodded at Flare—"doing here?"

So they told him how his valiant efforts to keep the barrier afloat allowed them to make it the beanstalk, how Happy rescued him from falling to his death, and how Wendy treated his injuries once they made it to the ground. Flare told her half for the first time—how she regained consciousness and barely managed to keep the barrier stable enough to lower to the forest. Raven Tail Castle was in shambles somewhere in the trees. "I looked for everyone, and the only person I couldn't find was Ivan," she recounted. "After a while people started to wake up. Obra was the first. His demon pet had prowled around waiting for him. When I told him that I couldn't find Ivan, he just followed the creature into the trees without so much as a goodbye. Nullpuding was the next. He started screaming at me and hitting me when he saw the castle. When I hit him back, he stormed off. Kurohebi just laughed in my face when I begged him to help me look. He left me there, too. They all just left me there with a broken castle."

"Good riddance," Laxus muttered after a lengthy pause. He turned to Gildarts. "So what now, old man? You gonna turn us in or what?"

"I thought about it. It is technically my duty as Duke of Onibus Town to apprehend felons such as yourself and Miss Flare," he said. "But you did save our lives, and it seems like you've matured a bit since your hostile takeover…besides, it looks like you're both ready to redeem yourselves. Am I wrong?"

"I'm tired of living like a pig, if that's what you mean," said Laxus. Flare just shook her head.

Gildarts narrowed his eyes. "Laxus, if I'm going to help you, I need you to be more sincere than that."

"Fine," the Lightning Dragonslayer snapped. "I…miss home, okay. I'm ready to go back."

"Good. I'll pull whatever strings I can to get you two pardoned. I don't think it will be too difficult to convince the king and queen. I'm sure that Makarov will rally behind your case as well."

"I also have this," Lucy said, digging around in her pack. She produced a creased blue card with a picture of a comet across it. "Jellal gave it to us as a gift for helping him out. Bring it to Magnolia and burn it, and when he comes, tell him that Lucy and Natsu are calling in their favor."

Laxus took the card, confused. "Thanks, but I don't think I'll need Jellal's support, too."

"Oh, the favor isn't for that," Lucy chuckled.

"…Erza's probably going to be there, isn't she?"

"Most definitely."

"I don't know if he'll be able to hold her back. You might as well just kill me now."

"Who's Erza?" Flare inquired.

"A demon," Natsu answered.

"A hellion," Gildarts said.

"A nightmare," said Laxus.

"A monstrous beast," Happy described.

"She's great," Lucy smiled. "You'll like her."

They began packing their things while Wendy continuously worked on Laxus, trying to return some of his strength. Eventually he brushed off her fretful hands and stood up, stretching his sore muscles. "I don't know if you should start walking today," she protested as he pulled his shirt over his head and clasped his cloak. "You're still very weak. You probably won't get all your powers back for a few days."

"Look, girl, I'll be fine," he assured her. "A little progress is better than no progress at all. Besides, it's not like there's anything else to eat here."

Wendy lectured him on the importance of staying hydrated and taking long breaks between hikes and keeping warm until Romeo put a hand on her shoulder to silence her. "I think he'll make it. He has been under the radar for the past few months now, avoiding authorities and whatnot."

Wendy didn't look happy, but she acquiesced and left Laxus to finish gathering his meager belongings in peace.

It was mid-morning before they were all ready to leave. Flare and Laxus were bundled tight in their cloaks with practically nothing else on their backs, heading through the East Forest toward Magnolia. It was the shortest and most dangerous way to get there, but they would always have plenty of food and wood for a fire. Additionally, they wouldn't have to worry about Rune Knights or, worse, bounty hunters. Gildarts, Romeo, Wendy, Charle, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were a much more substantial group headed a day's walk north to Onibus town toward the comforts of Cornelia Castle and the festivities of Lady Cana's birthday bash.

"Give Cana my best," Laxus said to Gildarts with a curt nod. "You know, after you tell her how I saved your life and all."

"Will do. But stay away from my daughter," said Gildarts.

"You realize I'm traveling in the opposite direction, right?"

"Travel safely," Lucy told Flare, embracing her. "I know you're going to be great."

"Thank you, Blondie. For everything." Flare released Lucy and her eyes rested on Wendy. She bit her lip. "Little Dragonslayer…Wendy?"

The girl nodded, stepping forward hesitantly.

"I'm sorry about the way I treated you in the cells. I wish I could take it back. Could you find it in that big, kind heart to forgive me?"

Wendy cracked a small smile. "Of course. I forgive you."

The pair of temporary outlaws waved as they disappeared into the trees of the East Forest. The group watched them go before turning and beginning their own short voyage, using a dirt path as their guide. "I hope they make it," Lucy sighed as they walked through the frost.

"They will," Natsu said.

"How do you know?"

"Because they deserve a second chance."

Gildarts watched Natsu through narrowed eyes for a very long time. Finally, just when it was starting to get awkward, he said, "I want you to stay away from my daughter, too."

"What?! Why?"

"Trust me, Salamander, it's for your own good. She'd eat you alive."

"Psh! I'd like to see her try!"

"I'm telling you, you're much better off with the lovely Miss Lucy over here."

"Wait, what are you talking about now? Gildarts? Gildarts!"


	92. Onibus Town

_**Author's Note:** On with the next arc! I'm sorry, I know it's been almost three weeks since my last update...it's just...ugh. Work is hard. College applications are stressful. My life is a cesspool of paperwork right now. I'm literally suffocating in it. But, on the bright side, I just completed an intense Hunger Games project I've been working on for two years, so hopefully I'll have more time to work on this two-year project. :) Because, yes, it's been almost exactly two years since I've started this. Time flies, man. Time flies._

_Can anyone guess the next fairy tale just from this chapter? _

* * *

><p><strong>XCII: Onibus Town<strong>

"This is incredible," Wendy gasped, looking around her with wide eyes. The cobblestone streets of Onibus Town stretched before them, covered in slush. Simple square buildings stood sturdy and tall, dyed orange, pink, and yellow in the rays of the setting sun. People swarmed briskly in all directions, seeking shelter from the cold. Whenever they noticed Gildarts, they would freeze in their tracks and bow respectfully before scampering away.

"I take it you've never seen a city before, have you?" Romeo laughed.

"Not really," Wendy admitted. "I've only ever lived in Cat Shelter, and it was a humble village. We were downright rustic compared to this."

"Onibus is fairly small by city standards," Gildarts interjected, "especially compared to Magnolia or Clover. But there's almost no crime, and the employment rate is the highest in the country. Everyone in my city has a roof over their head and food on their table."

"It sounds like you take care of your people," Lucy said fondly, remembering the tyranny of Duke Everlue. She still woke up from nightmares about that room. Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if Natsu hadn't found her. She didn't like to think about it.

"I do what I can. I can't take all the credit, though—Makarov taught me everything I know. If it wasn't for him, this city would be in shambles."

Near the center of the town was a castle a bit taller than the buildings around it, made of delicate blue brick. A single spire rose up from the center with a crimson flag flapping in the wind from the top. There was no gate around the castle, just a cobblestone walkway that merged with the street. Above the great oak doors was a sign that read _Cornelia_ in elegant gold filigree.

"Well, here she is," Gildarts declared, extending his arms. "Nothing special, but she's my Cornelia."

"It's so…tasteful," said Lucy, genuinely surprised. She had expected something sturdier, like a great, squat tower or a humble mansion.

"My wife designed the entire thing," Gildarts said proudly. His eyes grew sad and distant. "She died right before it was completed. She was going to call it Alberona, her maiden name, but I knew she'd understand if I changed it."

"I...I'm so sorry," Lucy murmured. She glanced over at Natsu and Wendy, who were equally appalled. Romeo looked faintly glum—he already knew the story.

"I'll give you the grand tour," Gildarts decided, moving right along. "And I'll introduce you to my daughter. You're going to love her."

"She's pretty awesome," Romeo agreed eagerly. "Cana can out-drink any man in the entire city! She's never been beat!"

"Out…drink?" Lucy repeated.

"Yeah! And she's the best card player, too! No one gambles when Cana's in the game. She can tell you your fortune, too, which is super neat—although sometimes they can be a little weird. Like when I went to her about my dad, she told me, 'Love is the answer.' What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"Romeo!" Gildarts snapped. "Watch your language. I know you're fifteen, but at least restrain yourself around young Miss Marvell."

"Oops," Romeo squeaked, blushing.

"Please, call me Wendy," the little Dragonslayer laughed. "There's no need to worry about me, Master Rauboul cursed like a sailor."

"See, now there's a polite kid. You could learn a thing or two from her," Gildarts told Romeo, wagging a finger.

"What do you know about polite kids?" Romeo snapped. "Cana's manners aren't exactly top-notch, Gildarts."

"What'd you say about my daughter, punk?!"

They entered the castle parlor, which was as chic as the outside. Slender round pillars held up an enameled cathedral ceiling, from which hung a chandelier with glass lights etched in the shape of water lilies. The floors were pale cream and the walls were the same blue brick from outside. The windows were open, letting in the breeze.

A woman sat on the stairwell leading to the next floor, shuffling a deck of cards. She didn't fit in with the surroundings—while she was beautiful with her long, flowing brown curls and voluptuous body, there was nothing delicate about her. She wore nothing more than calf-length brown pants and a bikini top. Next to her sat a pile of feathers, which Lucy realized after some inspection was a handbag. The woman sat with her knees apart, like a man, reclining on the railing of the stairs. She glanced over at them and smiled, brown eyes flashing. The cards disappeared in her feathered bag.

"It's about time you made it back, old man," she called, standing up.

Gildarts spread his arms wide. "I'm sorry I took so long, snookums. Did you miss Daddy?"

Lucy balked as the woman sauntered toward them. _This_ was Cana Clive, the perfect daughter that Gildarts had doted on ceaselessly?

Cana stopped in front of her father, just out of the grasp of his outstretched arms. She placed one hand on her hip and raised the other to Gildarts's face, squishing his cheeks with her fingers. "I told you not to call me 'snookums' anymore," she said. "And it sounds creepy when you refer to yourself as 'Daddy'." She grinned, releasing him. "But yes, I'm glad you're home. Who're your friends?"

"This is Lucy, Natsu, and Happy," Gildarts said, massaging his molested cheeks. "They're the ones who stopped Laxus at Fried's coronation. And they helped Erza in Clover…and they took down Everlue...anyway, they're staying for your birthday party."

"Oh, so you're the ones everybody's talking about," Cana said. "Great. You guys'll really liven things up around here. You're the Salamander, right? Aren't you looking for a dragon, or something?"

"Yeah, Igneel! Have you heard anything about him?"

"Sorry, nothing," Cana said, shrugging. "Might try asking around, though."

"This is Wendy and Charle," Gildarts interrupted, shooting Natsu a withering look. "They'll be staying here for a while. Wendy is a Sky Dragonslayer."

"Neat, two Dragonslayers in the same castle," Cana said. "Well, I'm assuming you guys already know who I am. Or did this guy not bore you to death with stories for once?"

"We've heard a lot about you," Lucy said amicably. "It's a pleasure."

"Cana, is there any news on my dad?" Romeo interrupted, gazing at the spunky brunette with hope in his eyes. Cana's humor faded a bit. She tousled Romeo's hair affectionately, offering him a small, encouraging smile.

"Not yet, kiddo, but the Rune Knights are still looking," she assured. She clapped her hands together, scanning the newcomers until her eyes settled on Lucy, Wendy, and Charle. "Now, I'm sure you guys are all tired from your journey, so let's go ahead and assign rooms. Romeo, be a dear and show the Salamander and his cat to the men's wing. Ladies"—she inserted herself between Lucy and Wendy and looped their arms together—"follow me."

"Wait! Cana, what about me?" Gildarts moped.

"Don't you have a city to run?" she called over her shoulder.

"But I didn't even get a welcome-home kiss! Canaaa…!"

The daughter in question gleefully ignored the duke's complaints, whistling a jovial tune as she dragged her hostages down a corridor, Charle jogging to keep up with her long stride. "We have a lot of extra rooms set aside for people who are in need of a place to stay," Cana explained as they passed door after door. All of them were closed and didn't seem occupied. "The castle is open to anyone who needs a roof and a good meal. We get a lot of orphans dropped on our doorstep, but usually Pops sets them up with a good family or gets them an apprenticeship so they can pay their own way. As of right now, Romeo is our only occupant since Macao is missing. I'm assuming he's told you about that."

"Yeah, when we ran into him he was in the East Forest and he'd just traded his cow for magic beans," Lucy said.

Cana shook her head. "That little punk. He's always running off to help the Rune Knights find his father, so I didn't think much of it when he disappeared for a few days. I was just starting to get worried when you got here."

"We were…delayed," Lucy said.

"I'm sure I'll hear all about it later. Pops loves a good story," Cana said dryly. She stopped them in front of a pair of closed doors and stood on tip-toe to retrieve the key from the top of one door jam. She unlocked it and swung the door open. "Here we are."

The room was simple, nothing more than a single bed with a nightstand and a lamp. There was a window near the corner and another door on the adjacent wall. "That door connects this room and the one next to it," Cana said, jabbing a thumb at the door. "It's pretty much the same. Sorry about the walk, but these are the only two rooms with windows, which I'm assuming you guys would've liked. You can switch it out if you want."

"No, these are great," Wendy assured. "Lucy, you can have this room. I'll share the other with Charle."

"Oh! She can have her own room if she wants—"

"It's quite alright, I'd prefer to stay close to Wendy," Charle said.

"Suit yourself," Cana said, striding into the room. She plopped down on the bed, patting the spot next to her. "C'mon, Blondie, make yourself at home. You can tell me all about that pink-haired eye-candy you're hooking up with."

Lucy turned seven shades of red. "Wha—it's n-not like that! Natsu and I—well, we're just…well, I mean, I guess we're more than friends, b-but it's not like we're—don't go get the wrong idea about us!"

"So you're not tappin' that?" Cana said, raising her eyebrows. "Damn. Then do you mind if I give him a go?"

"You—that's just—this is so _not_ appropriate!" Lucy balked, glancing down at Wendy, whose ears were shielded by Charle's paws.

"Fine then," Cana yawned. "What about you, Charle? Playing hard-to-get for the little blue lovecat, are you?"

"I am not playing games with Happy!" Charle snapped, removing her paws to place them belligerently on her hips. "There's nothing going on between us!"

"You might want to tell _him_ that," Cana suggested. She focused on Wendy. "What about you, cutie? Got a thing for Romeo?"

"A…a thing?"

"You know. A crush?"

"M-me? Have a crush on Romeo? I—"

"Aw, c'mon, don't deny it. You know he's cute."

Wendy blushed delicately. "He is rather cute, but—"

"Ah-ha! We've got one that will actually admit it!" Cana exclaimed leaping off the bed in triumph. She threw an arm across Wendy's slim shoulders, grinning lecherously at the girl. "I bet you I can get you two together before my birthday party. Just say the word."

"That's enough!" Charle scolded. "Wendy has got enough on her plate without worrying about premature relationships. She's only thirteen!"

"I had plenty of boyfriends before I was thirteen," Cana said nonchalantly. "But if you don't want my help, then I won't force it on you."

"When exactly is your birthday party?" Lucy inquired, tactlessly changing the subject before Cana once again targeted her lack of a romantic life. She got enough of that from Aquarius, who, in the few times Lucy had summoned her, always nagged her about Natsu.

"Three days," Cana replied. "It's nothing special. Pops wanted a big celebration, but I wanted something quiet this time, you know? So only the citizens of Onibus are invited. And you, too, of course."

"_Only_ the citizens of Onibus," Charle muttered wryly.

"Besides, the less people are invited, the more there is for me to drink!" Cana added cheerfully. "Happy birthday to me!"

The three guests glanced at each other with awkward smiles. So far, Romeo's rendition of bawdy Cana was much more accurate than Gildarts's angelic version.

"I'll let you get settled," she said, waving as she left the room. "Just let me know if you need anything. And no sneaking boys in the girls' wing okay? Pops doesn't like it."

"Bye, nice meeting you," Lucy called after her. All three of them let out a collective sigh once the door was shut.

"She's a character," Charle remarked.

"I like her," Wendy decided. "She's…exciting."

"And exhausting," said Lucy, fanning herself. Cana was like a whirlwind—the room felt still and calm in her absence.

"I'll check out my room," Wendy said, heading toward the door. "Maybe I'll take a nap."

"That sounds great," Lucy agreed.

In the silence that followed, both of their stomachs growled.

"…Or maybe we should eat first," Charle suggested, raising her eyebrows.

"If there's any food left," Lucy muttered. "Knowing Natsu and Happy, they've probably already ransacked the kitchens. Poor Gildarts is going to go bankrupt."

They were retracing their steps down the corridor, figuring they would run into someone who could direct them to the kitchens eventually, when they heard the scream. They glanced at each other and doubled back, running toward the source. When they made it to the end of the corridor and turned the corner, Cana stood there, squirming uncomfortably. She let out another terrified shriek and contorted, her face pinched in disgust.

"Help me!" she said when she noticed them. "There's something slimy crawling on my back! Get it off!"

She turned and gestured, revealing the slick purple lizard on her lower back. Wendy took a step to get it, but the lizard quickly darted into the fabric of Cana's pants. She screamed again, her face becoming an absurdly vivid shade of red. Frantically she undid her belt, fully prepared to strip, but then the lizard scampered out from her pant leg and skittered across the floor.

Wendy pounced on it, cupping it in her hands. "Got it!" she declared, standing up. She peered between her fingers. "I've never seen a lizard like this before."

"It just came at me and crawled up my leg onto my back," Cana recounted, trying to recover. She made a face. "I can't believe there was a lizard in my—"

"Oi! Shut your trap and listen up, will you? I'm not a lizard!"

The four girls froze, speechless. The voice was tiny, but it was definitely a male's. And it was definitely coming from inside Wendy's cupped hands. Slowly, she unfolded her fingers, revealing the small violet reptile. It didn't attempt to escape again. It just stared at them, looking relieved.

"Finally, someone can hear me," the lizard sighed. "You don't know how long I've been trying to get someone's attention. It's harder than you'd think."

"I'm not crazy, right? That lizard just talked?" Lucy squeaked.

"You're not crazy," Cana assured. She stepped forward and gently took the talking reptile from Wendy, peering at it closely. "This is no lizard," she exclaimed, eyes growing wide. "It's Macao! It's Romeo's father!"

"In the flesh," the lizard confirmed, nodding solemnly.

Lucy looked horrified. "Romeo's father is a lizard?!"

"I wasn't _before_," Macao snapped. "I was changed into a lizard. Who are you, anyway?"

"Lucy. And this is Wendy and Charle. We're guests here."

Cana frowned irritably, her fist clenching around Macao's squishy body, effectively cutting of his reply. "What do you think you're doing crawling around in my underwear, slimeball?"

"I had to get your attention somehow!" Macao croaked, eyes bugging out a little. "I've been like this for days, and no one's noticed me! No matter how hard I try, they only try to squash me!"

"I don't really blame them," Cana growled darkly. "Do you know how worried Romeo's been? Your ex-wife has been hounding Pops about shipping him off to Balsam Town to live with her, and it's taken him every trick he knows to convince her to wait for a few more weeks. And with as much work as he's swamped with, my own father might as well be missing. Where were you? How did you even get like this?"

"It's a long story," Macao said. "Take me to Gildarts and I'll explain everything."

"You better," Cana said, pinching Macao's tail between her thumb and forefinger and swinging him in the air as she headed down the corridor, Lucy, Wendy, and Charle following curiously. "Otherwise you might find yourself in an aquarium on Pops's desk."


	93. What They Don't Know

_**Author's Note:** I'm alive! ...I think. It's hard to tell sometimes. I know I've neglected you guys, it's just been so hectic...but I'm doing my best. This story will not be abandoned! We've come too far! It's nice to finally get in some fun writing. Recently it's been essay afer essay after essay...what was I saying? Oh, yeah! Most of you guessed the next fairy tale correctly: it's _The Frog (Lizard?) Prince._ Or _The Princess and the Frog (Lizard?), _to most of you. I'm more going off of the original Brother's Grimm story than the popular revised version, though. You'll just have to wait and see what that means. :)_

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><p><strong>XCIII: What They Don't Know<strong>

"Ugh, why does he lock this?" Cana muttered as she twisted the unrelenting door knob to her father's study.

"Probably so people don't—" Macao began, but was interrupted by Cana swinging her foot back and kicking the door open.

Gildarts was sitting at his desk, which was piled high with papers and folders and soiled dishes. He stood up when they entered, looking affronted, but his confusion quickly dissolved into delight when he saw who marched through the door.

"Cana, my daughter, I knew you missed Daddy!" he cheered, opening his arms as he leapt over the desk, disrupting the mountain of paperwork in the process. Cana pressed a hand into his face as he neared, holding him at arm's length.

"I'm not here to visit you," she deadpanned. "I'm here to give you this." She held out the purple lizard and dropped it in her father's open palm.

"You're…giving me a lizard?" he said.

"No, I'm returning your lecherous right-hand man."

Gildarts frowned down at the lizard. "I don't follow."

"It's me! Macao!" the lizard exclaimed.

"…This is a joke, right?" Gildarts said, turning to the girls.

They shook their heads in unison.

"It's not a joke, you idiot! It's really me!" Macao said. "I was turned into a lizard by some witch."

"Watch who you're calling an idiot, scaly," Gildarts murmured threateningly, dangling Macao by his tail.

"Hey, stop that! My tail's gonna fall off, and then we'll all be sorry!"

"What did you do to get turned into a lizard?" Gildarts inquired.

"He probably groped the poor witch," Cana sneered. "Perverted old fart."

"It's not exactly a heartwarming reunion, is it?" Lucy muttered to her companions, both of whom nodded in agreement.

"Don't you two have any faith?!" Macao sobbed. "I didn't grope anyone."

"That's a lie," Cana huffed.

Gildarts finally put two-and-two together. His face grew red and he dangled Macao dangerously. "Did you grope my daughter, bastard?!"

"Seriously, stop!" Macao cried, reaching for his tail.

"No, he didn't grope me," Cana corrected. "He just scampered his happy little scaly self into my _underwear_."

"WHAT?!"

"I was only trying to get your attention!" said Macao. "I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!"

"Um, don't you think we should tell Romeo that his dad is back?" Wendy timidly interjected, taking pity on the poor reptile.

"I suppose you're right," Gildarts sighed, dropping Macao onto his desk. The lizard scampered into a safe spot, wedged between two stacks of papers, and glared him. "Cana, would you mind retrieving Romeo? The Salamander and his cat, as well."

Cana left, glaring daggers at Macao. Five minutes later, she returned with the boys in tow. Romeo raced to the desk, where Wendy had lured Macao from between the stacks of papers. He blinked at the lizard in amazement.

"Is it really you, Dad?" he whispered.

"Who else would it be, squirt?"

Romeo grinned and let out a whoop, grabbing his dad from the desk and spinning him around in the air. "I'm so glad you're back! I missed you so much!" He paused and frowned at the lizard, slowly lowering him back onto the pile of papers. "But…why are you a lizard? What did you do?"

"Not you, too, Romeo," Macao groaned. "You've corrupted my child into thinking I'm a horrible man, Gildarts. My _child_. That's low."

"Actually, that was my doing," Cana admitted.

Macao considered it and shrugged. "Well, then, I guess that's fair."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" growled Gildarts, glancing suspiciously between the two of them.

"Nothing," they said simultaneously.

"I don't think you're a horrible man, Dad," Romeo said. "I just know that you get yourself in trouble a lot."

"Like when?" Macao said incredulously.

"The last time you went to the bar you bet Wakaba you could drink more than him, lost the bet, got really, _really_ drunk, hit on the barmaid until she clobbered you and Cana had to drag you home."

"Some role model," Lucy muttered.

"Hey! I can hear you judging over there, Blondie!" Macao shouted. "Anyway, this isn't even remotely the same kind of trouble. I didn't cause it this time. Promise."

"Get on with the story, then," Gildarts permitted.

Macao cleared his throat. "Well, it actually happened while I was visiting Makarov and Wakaba in Magnolia. I was coming back from the bar when I ran into this old hag walking the streets. She kind of gave me this disgusted look and turned away, but I was…well, I was pretty lost and pretty wasted, so I thought I'd ask her for directions. I went over to her, but I tripped, and when I put my arms out to catch myself…"

"Let me guess," Cana said dryly, "you 'caught yourself' on her ass."

"No," Macao scoffed. "…it was her breasts."

"Lecher," said Cana.

"Pervert," Lucy agreed.

"It was an accident!" Macao claimed. "Anyway, next thing I know, I'm three inches tall and this psychotic witch is trying to stomp me with the heel of her boot, screaming about how much she hates humans. I scampered away and was going to go to Makarov for help, but when I got to Fairy Tail Castle—you'll never believe it—the witch was there! Visiting Makarov!"

"So, let me get this straight," Gildarts interrupted. "You molested some poor old lady, she turned you into a lizard, and on top of that she's Makarov's woman?"

"Basically, yeah."

"Only you, Macao. Only you."

Macao made a face. "I spent weeks in Magnolia trying to get someone's attention, but it's a lot harder than it looks. They either don't notice me or try to slaughter me before I can talk. I knew that Romeo would be worried, so I jumped aboard a train to Onibus, hoping that I could finally convince someone I was Macao. I infiltrated Cornelia Castle, saw Cana, and gave it a shot."

"Do you have any idea how to change back?" Romeo inquired.

"If I did, don't you think I'd have tried it by now?"

"What are we supposed to do? None of us know transformation magic!"

"I'll contact Makarov in the morning," Gildarts declared. "Even if he doesn't know how to reverse the spell, at the very least he'll know the witch who cast it. Until then, everyone just get some rest."

The group adjourned, leaving Gildarts to his work. Wendy tapped Lucy's shoulder. "Are you still hungry?" she inquired.

"Yeah," Lucy admitted.

"Us, too," Natsu and Happy said.

"I'll take you to the kitchens," Cana offered.

"One second. I want to ask Macao something," Lucy said. She approached Romeo and the purple lizard, who gave her a curious look. "Macao, do you remember what the witch looked like?"

"Hell, yeah. You don't forget the face that turns you into a reptile and then tries to stomp on you," Macao grumbled. "She was tall and skinny, wrinkly, too, but I could tell she was probably a looker in her younger years. Her hair was pink and tied up in bun. She had red eyes. Why?"

"Wait a second," Romeo muttered. "That's what the witch who gave me the beans looked like!"

Lucy smiled and nodded. "That's also the woman I met at the hot springs. It's Porlyusica, all right."

"You mean…the Witch of the East Forest cursed my dad?!"

"Witch of the East Forest? I didn't think she was real," said Macao. "How do you know it's her, Lucy?"

"It's kind of a long story," Lucy said. "I met her once in Hosenka, after King Fried's birthday ball. She sort of…told me who she was, and then she disappeared."

"What do you mean, 'sort of'?" Cana asked.

"She hinted at it. I can't really explain," Lucy said. "I'm fairly certain that the Witch of the East Forest is named Porlyusica, though, and that she's the one who gave Romeo the beans and turned Macao into a lizard. It's possible she even gave Romeo the beans as a sort of apology. She probably realized that Romeo's dad was the man she turned into a lizard."

"But she said that the beans would help me find my dad," Romeo said. "They didn't really, though. We found Wendy, instead."

Every eye turned to the small girl, except for Macao and Cana, who only looked confused. "Do you have any clue what they're talking about?" the lizard muttered to her. Cana shook her head.

"Maybe she meant for Wendy to help you bring Macao back to normal once you found him," Happy offered.

"W-wait a second, I don't know anything about transformation curses," Wendy stuttered, holding up her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I won't be of any help."

"But you're the most knowledgeable about healing. You helped Laxus, didn't you?" Romeo insisted.

"Laxus?!" Cana and Macao exclaimed simultaneously. "What do you mean? He's a criminal!"

They were ignored.

"That's not the same. I cast the spell that put him in a coma, so it was relatively easy for me to reverse. This isn't something I'm familiar with, I'm sorry."

"Isn't it possible that the Witch just wanted a cow, so she told you the beans would help you find your father?" Charle suggested.

Macao gawked at his son. "You sold Bessa?!"

"I guess it's possible," Romeo sighed. "In fact, now that I think about it, she never explicitly said that the beans would help me find Dad. She only told me they were magic. Maybe she just wanted the cow."

"Or maybe she knew Wendy was in danger," Lucy said.

"But then why wouldn't she rescue Wendy herself?" Natsu pointed out.

"Maybe she wasn't strong enough," Lucy shrugged. "Besides, what would she have done with Wendy afterward? It's my understanding that she's a bit of a hermit, so it's not like she would have taken her back to her house."

"If she's a hermit, then why was she in Magnolia visiting Makarov?" Cana pondered.

"This can only mean one thing," Macao said. "The Witch of the East Forest is Makarov's booty call!"

Cana pursed her lips and flicked him, sending him sprawling from Romeo's hand. "Have you no shame, lecher?"

"That is an interesting proposition, though," Lucy said, tapping her chin. "How _does_ Makarov know Porlyusica? What was she doing in Magnolia visiting him when she clearly hates civilization?"

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow," Charle shrugged.

"Or," Cana began with a devious glint in her eye, "we can find out right now."

"How?" Wendy asked quizzically.

As a response, Cana reached into her feathered handbag and pulled out a deck of cards, fanning them in front of her face. "By looking into the future, of course. Everyone, come with me."

They followed her to the dining hall, where rows and rows of round tables were organized on the marble floor. Cana chose the one in the middle of the hall and ordered everyone to take a seat. She dealt them each a single card, herself last, and bade them not to look.

"Think of the question you wish answered," she murmured, pressing her palm to the back of her card. "Think of Duke Makarov Dreyar of Magnolia Town and of Porlyusica, Witch of the East Forest. Think of Fairy Tail Castle and the trees of the East Forest. Think of prophesy. Think of past, present, and future. Think of Lady Fortune."

The hairs on the backs of their necks stood on end with Cana's murmured chanting. The cards grew slightly warm in their hands, as if drawing on their life force, as if searching their very souls. The sensation was gone the moment Cana opened her brown eyes and looked at each of them in turn. "Now," she said, "place your cards in the center of the table."

Everyone did so. Cana organized the cards in a four-by-two rectangle, shuffling them so that their holders could no longer identify which was which. She sat down again and reached for the first card, slowly flipping it over.

"The babe," she declared, pointing to the elaborate picture of a baby swaddled in white blankets. "Upside-down. Represents childhood, past."

"Maybe they were childhood friends," Lucy whispered.

She flipped over the next card. "The yellow rose. Friendship."

"I guess she's not Makarov's booty call, after all," Macao sniffed.

The third card was a picture of a chess piece. "The queen," Cana murmured. "Power, scheming, cleverness."

Lucy squirmed uncomfortably. Perhaps that's what the queen usually meant, but what if this time it was literal? What if they had been discussing her mother?

"The chalice," Cana continued. "Upside-down. A failed quest."

Was she, the Lost Princess, the failed quest?

Cana flipped over the fifth card. "The dragon—"

"Ingeel!" Natsu cried.

"—strength," Cana corrected.

_Is it Igneel? Is it strength?_ Lucy thought. _What if that represents Natsu?_

The sixth card was a pair of glowing red eyes in a black background. "Danger," Cana said. She didn't elaborate, and no one had any commentary.

"The burning torch," Cana described as she turned over the seventh card.

"Maybe I wasn't so wrong after all," Macao contemplated.

"You have a disturbing amount of interest in some old couple's sex life," Happy observed.

Charle knocked the back of his head with her paw. "There are children present!"

"It represents hope," said Cana, shooting them a glare.

"This doesn't make much sense," Romeo said.

"It's going to be vague. Makarov and Porlyusica aren't here," Cana explained. "And it's a huge fortune. Usually the last card ties it all together." She reached for the eighth and final card, but when she turned it over, there was only a blank white slate. She gasped and stood up, alarmed. "What?! No, that's impossible!"

"WHAT?" the others cried.

"It's…it's blank!" Cana exclaimed.

"Yeah, we can see that! What does it mean?" Macao said.

"That's just it. It's blank. It doesn't mean anything! There's no fortune." Cana shook her head, frowning as she picked up the card and inspected it closer. "This hasn't ever happened to me before."

"What, does this mean that Makarov or Porlyusica is going to…you know…?" Lucy whimpered.

"No. If either of them were clearly going to die, they would have gotten the Death card," Cana explained. "This is just…nothing. I can't read their fortunes. I don't know why."

"That's not good," Happy surmised.

"No, it's not," Cana said. In one deft movement, she swept the cards off the table and shuffled them into her deck. "We can only wait and see what tomorrow will bring."

"But…we found out a lot," Wendy said optimistically. "We know now how the duke and the Witch know each other. They were childhood friends. And they were probably discussing the failed quest the day Macao was turned into a lizard. Perhaps they were planning a new, stronger quest, a dangerous one."

Cana smiled at the girl. "Perhaps. But there's no way to know for sure without the last card."

"At least there was a torch," Romeo said.

"Yes," Cana agreed. "The burning torch is a good sign."

They all left for bed, appetites gone. Lucy flopped down on her bed when she arrived to her room, thinking furiously. Cana's fortune had not boded well. Wendy was right—the babe and the yellow rose were obvious, but as for the rest…it was hard to decipher. Did queen mean Layla Heartphilia? Did it mean Mirajane? Could it really just mean a scheme? And what about the dragon? Was that Igneel, or strength, or Natsu? Did the upside-down chalice refer to the queen, or to the dragon? And the danger? Who was that for?

She pressed her face into the pillow with an exaggerated groan. It was all so confusing.

"You alright, Luce?"

She let out a shriek and threw the pillow at the intruder, who was, of course, Natsu, emerging from the chair in the dim corner. He dodged it and it hit the wall harmlessly. "That was unnecessary," he complained.

"What are you doing here?!" she hissed. "Cana said that guys weren't allowed in the girls' wing! Didn't Romeo tell you that?!"

Natsu shrugged. "It's not like anyone else knows I'm here. What they don't know can't hurt them, right?"

"Interesting choice of words, considering what happened earlier," Lucy said dryly.

"That's what I came to talk to you about," Natsu segued, flopping down on her bed. "The dragon in Cana's cards. It's got to represent Igneel."

"Are you sure? Maybe it represents strength like she said. Or maybe it's—" Lucy caught herself, biting her lip.

"Me?" Natsu shook his head. "I don't think so. Even if it was, I don't care. Right after the dragon came danger, and if it is Igneel, I need to know that he's not in trouble."

"He's a dragon," Lucy pointed out.

"Dragons are powerful, but they're not invincible, Lucy," Natsu said. "Why do you think they need Dragonslayers? To protect them from evil that threatens them. It's my duty to protect Igneel and any other innocent dragon out there."

"But what if the dragon on the cards represented you," Lucy persisted. "What if you're the one in danger?"

Natsu grinned at her. "I'm not worried about that. I know you've got my back."

Lucy blushed and smiled back. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

"We've got to talk to Gramps tomorrow. He must know something."

"Alright. We'll get up early and track down Gildarts before he sends out a message." Lucy blinked and looked around, noticing something. "Hey, where's Happy?"

"Oh, he—"

Natsu was interrupted by a squeal from the room next door, where Wendy and Charle were bunking. "What do you think you're doing, you squalid, perverted idiot?!" Charle shouted.

"I only wanted to see what you looked like while you were sleeping! I'm sorry, I didn't know she was in the bath!"

Happy burst through the door connecting Lucy's and Wendy's rooms, flying in circles above their heads as Charle rushed in after him, right on his tail, shouting insults.

"Charle…!" Wendy tumbled in, sopping wet with a towel wrapped around her body. Her eyes landed on Natsu and she froze, her face becoming as red as a tomato. She shrieked again, mortified.

Lucy sighed, giving Natsu a look. "What they don't know won't hurt them, huh?"


	94. The Antidote

**XCIV: The Antidote**

"I should have known this would happen," Cana sighed, shaking her head at the procession in front of her. "I should have never mentioned it. It probably only made it more tempting, huh, Salamander?"

Natsu gave her a confused look. "…Huh?"

"I mean, how can you not resist? Lucy was just a wing away, in a room all by herself…defenseless and innocent to your lusty desires…"

"That's enough," Lucy growled, eyebrow twitching. "It was all a misunderstanding."

"Besides, I think Happy's the one with lusty desires," Charle sneered, glaring murderously at the blue cat.

Wendy crossed her arms over her chest shyly. "Really, Charle, he said he was sorry. I really think it was an accident."

"It was!" Happy assured.

"It was no accident that you were in our room, you scoundrel! Don't make half-witted excuses! Just because Wendy is kind enough to forgive you for your heinous transgression doesn't mean I will!"

"Accident or not, I'm still required to punish you," Cana said. She stood in front of the two perpetrators and whopped the back of their heads with her feathered bag, inciting a yelp from both parties.

"What the hell?!" Natsu cried. "What's in there, bricks?!"

"Never ask a girl what's in her purse," Cana advised, hitting him again. "Now, don't either of you go in the girls' wing again, understood? Pops's only letting it slide this time because he's rooting for you, Salamander. But next time he'll have to kick your sorry butt out."

"Rooting for me? For what?"

Cana gave him a pitiful look. "You poor, dense man. All the hints in the world and you're still absolutely clueless." She turned to Lucy and put a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck."

"Where _is_ Gildarts?" Lucy inquired.

"Yeah, we need to talk to him," Natsu said.

"I think he's in his study with Macao and the kid," Cana said. "He just got a letter back from Makarov."

"He contacted the old man already?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Yeah, sent him a letter last night. Why?"

Natsu pushed past her and hurried to Gildarts's study. The girls exchanged a look and followed him to witness the scene about to unfold. They arrived just as Natsu was barging in. Gildarts was standing by the window, holding a letter, while Romeo stood by the desk with Macao the lizard cradled in his hand.

"Oh, Natsu," Gildarts said with a devious grin. "You sneaky, sneaky boy. I didn't realize that you were so desperate for Lucy's delicate touch. You must contain yourself in the future, okay? And just remember—it's not wrong if you don't get caught."

"Is that a letter from Makarov?" Natsu said, completely ignoring the duke's raunchy innuendo.

Gildarts blinked. "Why, yes, it is. I was just about to read it. Why? Was there something you needed to know?"

"…No," Natsu sighed, deflated. "I guess not."

"Can we still hear the letter?" Lucy asked, entering the room with Wendy and Cana and the cats.

"Sure," Gildarts said. He cleared his throat and began to read:

"_To Duke Gildarts Clive of Cornelia Castle, Onibus Town:_

_Yes, I do recall meeting Macao Conbolt on that day, however I'm afraid he must be mistaken about my relationship with this witch. I did not meet an old woman after Macao, nor do I know an old woman who fits her description. I'm sorry to say that the spell must have muddled his brains. Made him loony. You know how spells can be._

_As for the spell, I'm also afraid to admit that I've never heard of such transformation magic, and that I can't provide a cure. I will ask around and see if any of my colleagues may have a solution, but the experts on transformation magic that I know are Queen Mirajane Justine and her siblings, all of whom are away on business. I suggest contacting Miss Levy McGarden of Iron Rose Castle if all else fails. She is a very skilled solid-script mage and scholar. Lucy and Natsu should know of her whereabouts and how to get a message to her._

_Speaking of, I thank you for the service you've done for my grandson. I could hardly believe my eyes as I read the account of what happened at Raven Tail Castle that you sent me. Ivan's disappearance has haunted me for years, and while I, like any father, am distraught over his death, I am glad that he is finally liberated of his consuming madness. I can't tell you how grateful I am that you managed to save Laxus from a life of crime, manipulation, and despair. I've already ensured that he and his companion will be welcomed warmly._

_ Give my best regards to Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, and tell them that we in Fairy Tail Castle miss them fiercely, and that they are welcome to visit at any time. Also, tell Cana happy birthday from Erza and me. For Macao and Romeo, I wish them good luck._

_Sincerely,_

_Duke Makarov Dreyar of Fairy Tail Castle, Magnolia Town."_

"That lying old geezer!" Macao cried as Gildarts folded the letter. "I know what I saw! He knows the witch who cursed me. I bet you he knows how to undo the spell, too. He's probably just upset that I copped a feel."

"Please, try not to sound so proud," Cana remarked dryly.

"What are we going to do now?" Romeo exclaimed.

"We're going to stay calm and hopeful," Gildarts said. "Makarov's letter has given us some leads. We may not be able to break the spell with his help or with the help of the witch, but he makes a good point by the solid-script mage—a little research might not be a bad idea. And if we can't come up with anything, we'll send a letter to Miss McGarden."

"I hate studying," Romeo muttered crossly.

"I'll help you," Wendy volunteered. "I was required to pour over medical texts in Cat Shelter in order to assist Master Rauboul. I'm very studious."

"I'll come, too," said Charle.

"To the library!" Macao exclaimed.

"I'll go as well," said Cana. "After all, you'll need a chaperone, and I don't think a lizard and a cat are going to cut it."

"I can look after Wendy just fine, thank you," Charle said coolly.

"And I feel like you're insulting my parenting skills," Macao remarked.

"I don't doubt _you_, Charle," Cana said with emphasis. She grabbed Wendy's and Romeo's hands. "Come on, let's go."

"Hey! You are insulting my parenting skills, aren't you?!"

"Well, you _did_ manage to get yourself turned into a reptile."

"Is there anything you need from us, Gildarts?" Lucy inquired, gesturing to herself, Natsu, and Happy as the others left the study.

"A way to contact Miss McGarden, if you don't mind," Gildarts said. "There's no telling how long it will take to get a message to her."

"Probably a while," Lucy said. "She lives in a secluded metal fortress in the East Forest with an Iron Dragonslayer and a miniature panther."

Gildarts raised his eyebrows. "She sounds…exciting."

"She's great," said Lucy.

"You'll probably be better off sending a letter to Jet and Droy," Natsu pointed out. "They're Levy's friends. They own a bookstore in Hosenka. If you send a letter to them, they'll make sure it gets to her."

"Great," Gildarts said. He wrote down the address of _Shadow Gear Books and Such_. He tucked the paper into his pocket and gave them a sly look. "So, what are you three up to now?"

They glanced at each other. "Well, we were thinking we could do a fireworks show to make some cash," Natsu said.

Gildarts waved a dismissive hand. "Fine, fine. Just don't set anything important on fire."

"No promises," Happy grinned.

* * *

><p>"This is preposterous!"<p>

The shriveled old librarian glared at them over the rim of her spectacles, flaring her nostrils at the white cat who stood squarely on the counter. Charle scowled back frigidly, two white paws on her little hips, narrowed eyes staring into the librarian's.

"I'm sorry," the shrewd old woman said, puckering her lips. "No animals allowed."

"I am _not_ an animal!" Charle snapped. "I'm having a conversation with you, for goodness' sake!"

"Yeah, and I can talk, too!" Macao exclaimed from Romeo's hand.

"Please, can't you make an exception, ma'am?" Wendy pleaded. "Charle isn't like other cats, and Macao isn't really a lizard. He's actually a man put under a spell—"

"No exceptions!" the librarian hissed. "First of all, I am allergic to cats and I don't want your dandruff and hair floating around the place. Secondly, I certainly don't want some reptile frightening the other patrons or sun-bathing on one of my books!"

Cana huffed and nudged Wendy aside. "Look, lady, I'm Cana Clive, and—"

"I know exactly who you are, Lady Cana," the librarian interrupted, "and quite frankly, I don't care. There are no exceptions, not even for the duke's daughter. I simply can't allow beasts in my library, magical or otherwise."

"_Beast_?!" Charle shrieked.

"That's no way to talk to Charle," Wendy said firmly. "We'll respect your wishes, but only if you apologize to my friend. You have no right to lump her in the same category as a common house cat. She's a person just like you or me, she just comes from a different country and looks different because of that."

"Very well," the librarian sighed. "I'm sorry for my outburst, young feline."

Charle crossed her arms and turned her head coldly, but she hopped off the counter nonetheless. She looked up at Wendy, hopeless. "I take it you're not coming with me?"

Wendy shook her head. "Romeo needs help doing research for his father," she said. "I'm staying. I'm sorry that you have to go, but it's best not to cause trouble on our first day here."

"I understand," Charle said.

"I'll take them back to the castle," Cana offered, scooping Macao out of Romeo's flat palm. She shuffled Charle out of the library, smiling behind her. "You two get a lot of studying done, you hear?"

Charle narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the duke's daughter as she threw open the glass doors and skipped down the street, whistling a jaunty tune. "…You planned that out, didn't you?" she accused.

"Whatever do you mean?" Cana blinked innocently.

"You knew that the library wouldn't allow me inside," Charle growled. "And you came along to make sure that Wendy wouldn't get worked up enough to have a reason to leave. You planned this so that Romeo and Wendy would be alone in the library together!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cana quipped.

Charle turned to Macao. "Aren't you concerned about your son not having a suitable chaperone?"

The lizard avoided eye contact.

"You were in on it, too!" Charle gasped. "You two are conspiring to get them together! I told you, Wendy is too young! I won't allow it!"

"Please," Cana scoffed. "Wendy is old enough to make her own decisions. They both are. And they've both suffered enough that they're older than their age suggests."

"They both need a friend," Macao said. "Someone that they can go to when they're in need. I know that Wendy has you, but she needs someone outside the boundaries of her old memories. She needs fresh blood, a child her own age who will understand what she's going through. Romeo needs the same thing."

"Besides, you don't have anything to worry about today. That librarian is as vigilant as a hawk," Cana added.

Charle pursed her lips. "What do you mean by, 'today'?"

"You never know what tomorrow has in store," Cana said with a devious smile, flashing her deck of cards.

"I have a bad feeling about you two," Charle commented.

"Hey, isn't that the Salamander and his friends?" Macao interrupted, gesturing to the street with a pointy claw. Cana squinted and confirmed that, yes, the bright pink-haired man with the busty blonde and flying blue cat were Natsu and his gang. They seemed to be trying to attract attention. Curious, the three wandered over to them.

"Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, prepare yourselves for the sizzling tricks of the Spectacular Salamander himself, the one and only Natsu Dragneel, fantastic fire-juggler!" Happy raved, spinning in circles through the air. "Accompanied by the sweet harmonies of the luscious Lyra!"

A girl standing beside Lucy began to pluck a quick, joyful tune from the strings of a lyre, her voice belting high, clear notes of a song about a princess who drops a golden ball in a fountain. With a roar, Natsu blew flame from his mouth, eliciting an impressed applause from the crowd. More people gathered around as he torched two batons and began spinning them around until they were just two wheels of fire, throwing them into the air and accompanying that with flips and tricks. Happy flew about with his sack, which people gleefully emptied jewels into. Cana raised her eyebrows. She hadn't ever seen a street performer do so well in modest Onibus.

"That's some really impressive work," Macao said.

"Yeah," Charle agreed.

"I think he's talking about Natsu, Charle."

"I know who he's talking about! Who did you think I was talking about?!"

"Happy's doing a pretty fine job."

"Flying around with a sack of money isn't a skill," the cat sniffed. "Anyone from Extalia can do that."

"So you're from Extalia, huh?" Macao said. "I heard that the people there were different. I never understood what that meant. Everyone I've talked to who's been to Extalia are Edolese, and they don't like talking about Exceeds."

"Exceeds are a race like Happy and me," Charle confirmed. "Flying cats who can speak. I myself have never been to Extalia. I was shipped with one hundred other eggs when the war started seven years ago. It was an effort to save the next generation. I imagine Happy's situation is a similar one. But the only reason I know anything about Extalia is because my egg landed near Grandine's cavern, where Wendy had remained without guidance for several days. She eventually began wandering and came across Cat Shelter. Master Roubaul had visited Edolas before the war, when the Exceeds and Edolese lived in relative harmony. It is because of him that I know anything about my people. Poor Happy probably doesn't know anything at all."

Cana put a hand on Charle's head. "I heard about what Ivan did to you and Wendy. I'm really sorry. No one should ever have to see that. From what I've heard, Master Roubaul and the rest of Cat Shelter were good people."

"They were," said Charle solemnly.

"Who's Grandine?" Macao inquired.

"The Sky Dragon," Charle answered. "She raised Wendy and taught her Dragonslayer magic. By the time I arrived in Fiore, she had already disappeared."

"Wendy's led a tough life, huh?" Cana muttered.

"Yes, but you would never know it by looking at her. She never complains, she's kind and caring and thoughtful, and she deserves so much better than what she's been given. That's why if this thing with Romeo doesn't work out"—Charle narrowed her eyes murderously—"I'll have to hurt you."

"I know I shouldn't be afraid of threats from a small cat no taller than my calf," Cana whispered to Macao as the crowd around Natsu began to disperse, "but I am."

"Ditto," Macao agreed.

"Charle!" Happy called, gliding over to them. He grinned at her earnestly, breathless from the loops he'd done around the crowd. "Did you like the show? Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yes, _Natsu_ gave a great performance," she replied. "As did the woman with the lyre. Who was that, anyway?"

"Lyra," Happy said, deflated. "Just one of Lucy's Celestial Spirits."

"Oh! Lucy, I didn't know you were a Celestial mage," Cana said, surprised. "What Spirit is she? I thought there were only Zodiac Spirits."

"Lyra is, uh, special," Lucy explained. "How do you know so much about Celestial Spirits?"

"I considered becoming one," Cana said. "See, I'm a holder-type mage, too. But I decided to start practicing with cards instead. Keys are just too rare."

"They are," Lucy agreed.

"Hey, would you mind if Lyra played at my birthday party?" Cana asked. "She's got a great voice. What d'you say, Lyra?"

"Please can I do it, Lucy? Please, please, please? You never summon me anymore!"

"That's because the days I can summon you are so specific!" Lucy snapped. "But I think Cana's birthday falls on one of them, so you can play."

"Yay!" Lyra cheered. She spun around in the air and winked at them with a smile. "I'll see you then!" With a pop, she disappeared.

"Cool," Macao remarked.

"What are you guys doing here, anyway?" Lucy asked, tucking Lyra's key back onto her key ring. "I thought you were chaperoning Wendy and Romeo at the library?"

"Apparently, animals aren't allowed," Charle grumbled frigidly.

"But you're not an animal," Happy said.

"Exactly!"

"The librarian didn't see it that way. She wouldn't let Macao or Charle stay, so I volunteered to take them back home," said Cana.

"Conveniently," Charle snapped.

"Look, here they come now," Natsu interjected, pointing over their shoulders. The group turned and saw the two children running toward them, eager grins wide on their faces.

"Dad! We figured it out!" Romeo yelled, screeching to a stop in front of them. "Well, actually, Wendy figured it out."

The girl blushed. "It wasn't just me. Romeo helped."

"All I did was pull the book of the shelf."

"Alright, alright, you guys can be cute later," Macao said. "What'd you figure out? How do I break this stupid curse?"

"None of the medical texts were very useful, so I referenced magical ones instead," Wendy elaborated. "Eventually we resulted to myths and legends. Finally, we—"

"—you," Romeo corrected.

"Fine, _I_ realized what they all had in common." The children grinned at each other and then back at the group. "True love's first kiss! That will break your curse!"

Everyone stared at them, wide-eyed. Cana and Macao both erupted into laughter, causing the smiles to slip from the kids' faces. "S-so all I gotta do is kiss some broad and I'll be me again?!" the lizard chuckled. "That's rich!"

"It can't just be any woman," Romeo snapped. "It has to be your true love."

"There's no such thing, kiddo," Macao sighed. "Besides, I doubt that the Witch of the East Forest would do something so cliché."

"Actually, that's how Levy broke Gajeel's curse," Lucy pointed out. "Porlyusica had cursed him to look like a beast until he found true love and she returned his affection. When Levy kissed him, he reverted back into his human form."

"That's also how Erza woke up Jellal when he was under the influence of Lullaby," Natsu added. "Granted, that wasn't the Witch, but it was still a pretty serious curse."

"So…I've got to find my true love, get her to kiss me in this body, and my curse'll be lifted?" Macao said.

Everyone glanced at each other and nodded.

Macao's hiccupping laughter quickly welled into his eyes and dripped down his face in hopeless sobs. "Oh, jeez!" he cried. "I'm gonna be stuck like this forever!"

"Aye," said Happy.

Macao only flopped down dramatically on Cana's palm, preening out another high, helpless wail.


	95. In The Cards

_**Author's Note:** I've been busy...so busy...but I managed to write an extra-long chapter to make up for it! :D To be honest, guys, this arc isn't going to be super action-packed...mostly I'm focusing on relationships right now. It's the NaLu you've been waiting oh-so-patiently for!_

_Also, in response to a question asked by _**sweet little demon** _and maybe some others, I won't be incorporating Sabertooth or really anything else from the Games. Other than Romeo's age and, subsequently, Macao's age, nothing post-time skip will be incorporated. Mostly because I already have a plan for how this story is going to end and trying to add all that will ruin it. So now that that's settled, let's get this show on the road!_

* * *

><p><strong>XCV: In The Cards<strong>

Gildarts burst into uncontrollable guffaws when he heard the children's solution to Macao's problem. It went on for several minutes, until the duke's face was a hazardous shade of red. Veins bulged from his neck, tears streamed from his eyes. He banged a gloved fist on his desk and the entire piece of furniture crumbled to the ground, scattering papers everywhere. It was at that point that Cana sighed and withdrew a card from her purse. She pointed the face toward her father and from it came a squirt of water which drenched him from the shoulders up.

"Calm down before you break the castle, old man," she ordered.

"Yeah, it's not like it's a bad idea," Romeo protested.

"I—it's not," Gildarts wheezed, clutching his stomach. He looked up at Macao, who was perched in the boy's hand. "The idea is great. There's no magic more powerful than true love's first kiss. You're just screwed." The sentiment sent him into another fit of laughter. Cana squirted him with water again.

"I know," Macao growled. "I was hoping you could send a letter to that solid-script mage just in case there was something the kids missed."

"I've already taken care of that," Gildarts replied. "It should arrive within the day. No guarantees about when she'll reply, though—if what Natsu and Lucy say is any indication, she lives in a pretty secluded location. Until then, I suggest you hit some single's pubs."

"You're lucky I can't use my fire, you old fart," Macao grumbled.

"I'm not much older than you," Gildarts retorted. "And at least I don't have scales."

"Maybe you'll find a lady at my birthday party," Cana suggested. "There are plenty of eligible bachelorettes coming. Maybe I'll make a game out of it—plant the kiss on the lizard. Whoever turns you human gets a prize."

"It doesn't work like that," Wendy interjected. "He has to really care about whoever kisses him in order for him to change back. Even if someone from the party is his soul mate, it won't work until they actually develop feelings for each other."

"'Twas a joke, kiddo," Cana snickered.

Wendy blushed. "Oh."

"Yeah, it's not like I'm going to her party in this body," Macao remarked.

"What?! Of course you're coming!" Cana snapped.

"And do what? I can't drink, I can't dance, I can't flirt—I'll be lucky if I survive the night, with all those skittish ladies and their pointy high heels," Macao argued.

"But Dad, you told Cana that you'd go," Romeo pointed out.

"Before I became a lizard!"

Cana huffed and tossed her head. "You know what, fine. I don't even care if you come or not. I'll have a perfectly good time without some smelly, scaly, slimy lizard there."

"Hey! I'm not smelly!" Macao shouted after her as she stormed out of the study. He turned to Gildarts. "You understand, don't you?"

"Sure, I do. Of course, if I made a promise to Cana, I wouldn't break it, but that's just because she's my darling daughter and I love her more than anything else in the world," Gildarts replied, matter-of-fact. "I don't even know why she wanted you there so badly in the first place."

"That makes the both of us," Macao admitted. "So, what should I do now?"

"There's nothing to do, unless you want to start chatting up the ladies," Gildarts said. "If they'll let you kiss them, I say go for it. Unless it's my daughter. Don't touch my daughter."

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Macao wryly. He glanced over at Lucy and grinned. "What d'you say, Miss Lucy? You must've developed at least _some_ feelings toward me by now. Wanna help a lizard out?"

"No, thank you," Lucy rejected, curling her lip in disgust.

"How about you, Wendy?"

The girl blushed. "Wha—_me_?"

"That's enough, Dad," Romeo snapped, rolling his eyes. "Let's go get you something to eat. I don't think I've seen you eat or drink since you got here."

"Oh, you're right! Are there any grapes?"

Gildarts chuckled as they left. "I believe you've just witnessed Romeo's jealous side. Better keep an eye on that, Wendy, he can turn as green as you can red."

"I—I'm not red!" That was a lie. Wendy was crimson from head to toe.

"Stop teasing her," Charle objected, taking the girl's hand. "Come on, I'm hungry, too. Let's see what they're making for lunch."

Natsu turned to Lucy and Happy. "Food," he said.

"Aye," they agreed. Waving goodbye to Gildarts, they followed the others to the kitchens.

* * *

><p>The cook became very upset when the seven of them—particularly Natsu and Happy—burst into her kitchen and demanded sustenance. She raised a frying pan high in the air, her voice becoming shrill and angry. "I've had about enough of you and your cat, Salamander!" she shrieked. "You eat all my food, you make a mess, and you don't clean up after yourselves!" She shoved sandwiches in their hands (or, in Happy's case, paws). "Here's your lunch! Now get the hell out of my kitchen! As for the rest of you, as long as you behave, you can stay."<p>

"We won't stand for this!" Natsu cried.

"Aye!" said Happy.

"Come on, Luce, let's go," the Dragonslayer said, grabbing her hand. She frowned and wiggled away.

"I'm eating here. It's not my fault you two can't be polite."

"But we're supposed to stick together!"

"I am sticking together," Lucy replied. She gestured to Wendy, Charle, and the Conbolts. "With them. I'd like to talk to them a little more. You'd be able to, if you exercised an amount of consideration."

Natsu pouted. "Well, fine. We'll just go eat somewhere else, then. Come on, Happy."

"Aye," the cat agreed crossly. They turned and left the kitchen, meandering to the ballroom, where the preparations for Cana Clive's birthday bash were under way. It looked as though Gildarts, like the doting father he was, spared no expense. Workers were winding bright green ribbon around everything, sticking ornate bows wherever they could, loading the tables with bouquets of sunny yellow tulips and clouds of white baby's breath.

Natsu frowned. He hadn't counted on it being so busy. It looked like they were going to have to eat in their own room.

"Hey, Natsu," Happy said, pointing at a distant table, "isn't that Cana?"

His eyes followed the cat's paw and saw the young brunette slumped across the only bare table in the room, chin resting on her fist as she observed the buzzing hive around her. "Looks like it," Natsu concurred. He grinned and started forward.

Cana glanced up as they approached, raising one eyebrow. "You two look suspicious. What're you up to now?"

"We just came to say hi," Natsu said innocently, plopping down in the seat next to her. "And eat our lunch."

"Why don't you eat your lunch in the kitchen?"

"We wanted to eat it with you."

"Aye."

"…You got kicked out, didn't you?"

The two of them slumped, discovered. "Aye," they said simultaneously.

"Welcome, then," Cana slurred, opening her arms wide. "You're just in time to see the product of my dad's suffocating adoration."

The doors to the ballroom opened, revealing five or six workers all pushing a tall structure covered with a white sheet. They pushed it to the center of the room and then backed away, letting the linen fall to the ground. Natsu and Happy gaped.

The structure was the form of a marble woman, sitting poised on a tiered rock. Her long waves tumbled down her back, and her face looked charismatically upon the empty ballroom floor, eyes half closed like the countenance equivalent of a loving caress. In her hands were five cards fanned out, as though in a coy gesture she was about to hide her face behind them.

"Is that…a statue of you?" the Dragonslayer said.

"No," Cana replied. The supervisor yelled something, and then a burst of clear water erupted from the cards, fanning out from them and splashing on the rock, cascading down in sculpted rivulets. "It's a fountain of me."

"Wow," Happy said.

"I know," Cana replied. She sighed. "But he can't help it. This is the first birthday he's got to spend with me, after all."

"What do you mean?" Natsu inquired.

"Until just a few months ago, I was living with my mother's family," Cana explained. "Pops was always so busy…I would visit him, but I spent the majority of my time with my grandparents. After my mother died, Pops went on this big quest, and they thought he was a negligent father, more concerned with power than with taking care of his daughter. That couldn't be farther from the truth, of course—Pops doesn't even really like being Duke. After Mom died he just needed some time. He's always been like that, a man who appreciates his space.

"Anyway, now that I'm of marrying age and I can take care of myself, my grandparents decided to send me here to live permanently so I can find a good suitor," Cana continued. "To be honest, I like it here a lot better. Pops can get pretty annoying sometimes, but I love him. The time I spent here are my most cherished childhood memories. My grandparents are good people, but they got really stern after Mom's death. They're never really concerned with my happiness. I wanted to live here, in Cornelia Castle, but I knew it would really hurt them if I did. So I stayed."

"Wow," Natsu said again. "I had no idea."

"Well of course you didn't," Cana remarked, smirking. "You just got here, after all. You hardly know me. Actually, a lot of people didn't know. Gildarts and my grandparents decided to keep it quiet. They don't like airing their business for people to see. I think the only ones who knew for certain that I didn't really live here outside the staff were Macao and Makarov. Macao would always take care of me when Pops was busy, and nothing gets by that damn Makarov."

"Is that why you're so upset that Macao can't come to your party?" Happy asked.

"I'm not upset," Cana snapped, scowling.

"You _sound_ upset."

"Well, I'm not! I couldn't care less if that dirty perverted reptile makes an appearance!" she huffed and tossed her head, a mischievous glint in her eye. "That's enough of this sissy talk. I know what you guys _really_ came to find me for."

"You do?" they said in unison.

Cana flashed out her cards. "You want me to tell you your love fortunes!"

"No offense, but didn't this go terribly wrong the last time?" Natsu pointed out. "Besides, that's not what we came here for. We just wanted a place to—"

"Last time was a complicated ritual. I was trying to look at the past, present, and future of two people who weren't even there. But telling love fortunes is so easy, I could do it in my sleep," Cana interrupted. She grinned and leaned over. "So, what d'you say? Wanna see if there's a spark between you and a certain blonde we both know?"

"But Laxus already electrocuted me," Natsu deadpanned.

Cana and Happy stared at him. The former turned to the cat, shaking her head. "There's no way," she said. "There's no way he can be _that_ dense."

"You'd be surprised," Happy sighed.

"I'm not talking about you and Laxus!" Cana shouted, shaking the Dragonslayer's shoulders. "I'm talking about you and Lucy!"

"Lucy? Why would Lucy electrocute me? I don't even think she can."

"No, I mean there's a spark between you two!"

Natsu pursed his lips in contemplation. "A…spark?"

"Yes," Cana said eagerly. "A spark. A flame. You know, romantic stirrings."

"Stirrings…" Happy emphasized, wiggling his paws at the Salamander mysteriously.

"Hmm…I don't know, I don't think Lucy feels that way."

"But what about _you_?" Cana exclaimed, practically leaping out of her seat. "Do _you_ like Lucy?!"

"Well of course I like Lucy," Natsu scoffed. "Lucy's awesome! Except when she gets mad. Then she's pretty scary. Almost Erza scary." All three of them shuddered. "But yeah, I like Lucy."

"Then why haven't you told her?!"

"I have," Natsu blinked.

Happy and Cana gaped. "You…have? What did she say?!"

"That she liked me to…? I don't see what the big deal is. I've told Happy the same thing. I like you, too, Cana. I like a lot of people." He gave that terrible, adorable grin. "You're my nakama."

The cat and card mage slumped, defeated. "I knew that was too easy," Happy groaned. "He's impossible. Just impossible."

Cana reached across the table and grabbed Natsu by his scarf, tugging him closer so they were eye-to-eye. "Look here, Salamander," she growled. "I'm about tired of this naïve bullshit. You and Lucy have been traveling together and you are absolutely perfect for each other. Now, don't say any words. Just nod yes or no to the questions I'm about to ask you. Nod if you understand."

Bewildered into speechlessness, Natsu nodded.

"Good. First question: do you think Lucy's cute?"

Hesitantly, Natsu nodded.

"Do you ever want to reach out and touch her? Hold her hand or something?"

"Well, I—" Natsu began, but Cana tightened her grip on the scarf and tugged.

"I said no talking! It's a yes or no question!"

Natsu frantically nodded.

"Good. Now tell me, do you ever want to kiss her? Think about this one. Really think about it."

Natsu thought about it, but he couldn't ever come up with a time when he'd wanted to press his lips to Lucy's. Well, except that one time on the train, on their way to Shirotsume…it had lurched and he fell on her, and he'd felt compelled to lean in, to close the distance between them, to—

He groaned as he recalled the movement of the train under his feet, clutching his stomach against the surge of breakfast creeping up on him. Cana reeled, releasing his scarf. "Uh, Happy, why is he turning green?"

"I think you broke him," Happy replied. "It was too much for his brain to handle."

"Damn. It's too soon."

"Aye."

"These two move slower than molasses."

"Mmm, molasses," Happy moaned. "That's a fish, right?"

Cana gave him a look. "I wonder what Charle sees in you."

"Charle?! Did she say something? Cana, don't walk away! Where are you going?!"

"I'm going to find Lucy," she called. "Maybe I'll actually get some answers out of her before she curls up in the fetal position on the ground."

"But what about Charle?! Tell me, please! At least read my fortune! Cana…!"

* * *

><p>The girls were just finishing up their lunch and eyeing the delicious homemade apple pies cooling on the counters when Cana burst into the kitchen, looking for something to eat. She, too, spotted the apple pies, and boisterously demanded that the cook serve them all a slice.<p>

Veins throbbing, the cook hurled a pie knife at Cana, who caught it before the gleaming silver point could impale her. "I know you can damn well serve yourselves! We're cooking for your royal feast tomorrow, so stop interrupting me!"

"Is that any way to treat the duke's daughter?!"

"It is when she sneaks into my kitchens in the middle of the night and _drinks all the booze_!"

Cana narrowed her eyes. "You can't prove that was me."

"But I know it was," the cook hissed, ominously retreating into the steam. "I know it was…"

"Ingrate," Cana sighed, snatching a pie off the counter and wielding the cutter dexterously. She offered the three girls a slice, which they all happily accepted. "She's just jealous because she's had a thing for Macao since she started working at the castle."

"Then why would she be jealous of you?" Lucy inquired innocently.

"Because, when I was little he would take care of me when Pops was busy," Cana answered. "He'd always sneak me treats from the kitchen and give me lots of attention. Speaking of, where are the slimeball and his offspring?"

"They left pick up Romeo's suit for your party tomorrow," Wendy said.

"Wait, do you three even have anything to wear?" Cana asked.

"I do," Lucy said. She planned on wearing her dress from the wedding, since she didn't have the money to splurge on another and no one but Gildarts and Natsu would notice she'd already worn it once before.

"Charle and I don't own gowns," Wendy admitted. "But we don't have the money to buy any."

Cana waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about that! I'll take you shopping."

"Really, you don't have to—"

"Nonsense! You'll be living at Cornelia for a while, right? Believe it or not, Pops has a lot of parties. You'll need at least one gown. You can pay me back later, if it will make you feel better." Cana turned to Lucy and placed a compassionate hand on her shoulder. "We'll get you a new one, too. After all, you deserve it for everything you have to put up with, you poor soul."

Lucy tilted her head, confused, but didn't argue. She was getting pie and a free dress—why would she?

"While we wait, why don't I tell you your fortunes?" Cana asked, flashing her cards. "Does anyone want to know the answer to a question? Any question? Particularly one about…oh, I don't know…a rambunctious young boy of about fifteen? Or a hopelessly dense fire-juggler? Or a cheerful blue cat?"

The three girls glared at her from across the table.

"C'mon, please?" Cana begged, all façade gone. "Just let me tell you your love fortunes! Do it for me? As a birthday gift?"

"Why do you care so much?" Charle snapped.

"Because I'm nosy! And I've got money on it!"

"Money?! Are you betting on us?!" Lucy shrieked, feeling strangely violated.

"Only with Pops," Cana assured. "And Macao. And Makarov."

"Wouldn't it be cheating if we let you tell us our love fortunes?" Wendy pointed out. "I agree with Lucy, but the way, that betting on our personal lives is very unethical."

"What if I stopped betting? If you let me give you your fortunes, I'll drop the poll entirely," Cana promised. "Please, I just want to know!"

Lucy sighed. "Fine, I suppose I'll let you read mine. But only if you stop making a big deal about it!"

"YES!" Cana cheered. She handed Lucy the deck and ordered her to shuffle. Once that was done, she laid four cards flat on the table in a square shape. She started with the top right corner and flipped it over. "This card determines the current state of your romantic affairs."

"A yellow rose," said Lucy dryly. "Friendship. How accurate."

"The second card represents the trigger of your upcoming romantic journey," Cana said. She flipped over the card, which was two fish encircling each other. She frowned. "Gemini the Twins. That's interesting. Oh, wait, you're a Celestial Spirit mage, aren't you? Do you have Gemini?"

"Yes," Lucy said, but in her mind's eye she saw Loke. It seemed much more likely that he would involve himself in her romantic affairs, being her twin brother and all, but she couldn't fathom how he would _trigger_ a relationship. If anything, she imagined he would inhibit one.

"You should use it more often," Cana suggested. She flipped the next card, revealing wolves in a blizzard. "This represents the greatest obstacle between you and your love."

"What does the wolf mean?"

"It's not just a wolf, it's a _pack_ of wolves," Cana said. "Generally that represents a pack mentality, familial bonds that are hard to earn and hard to break. Honestly, I don't know where this is going now."

"Familial bonds, hm?" Lucy pondered. Again, Loke's shades flashed across her mind. Then there was also her father to think about, the father she had yet to meet or know. Would that bond be hard to earn, or hard to break? And what did it have to do with Natsu? …Or, of course, any other man she might become romantically involved with.

"This last card is the most crucial," Cana said eagerly. "It is the outcome of your epic love."

"Who said it was epic?" Lucy cried.

"This one better not be blank," Charle remarked.

Cana flipped it over and grinned. She threw her arms into the air when she saw the card, letting out a _whoop!_ Lucy blushed at the picture, suddenly regretting having taken Cana up on her offer.

"Yes!" the card mage cheered. "I knew it! Haha!"

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Lucy exclaimed. "What does that even mean?!"

"Oh, I think you know," said Cana, wiggling her eyebrows. "You just don't want to admit that you two are destined for each other."

"We're not _destined_ for anything," Lucy snapped.

"Not according to the cards," Cana purred, waving them in front of her face. Lucy stuck her tongue out obnoxiously.

"This proves nothing," she said.

Cana rolled her eyes and picked the last card out of the square, handing it to Lucy. "I don't care what you say, girl, it's written on the cards. Deny it all you want, but at least do me a favor and take this. Let it remind you of your destiny so you don't talk yourself out of it."

Lucy hesitantly took the card and stuffed it in her pocket. Then, still blushing, she turned and stormed away.

Cana grinned after her until she disappeared. Then she turned to Wendy and Charle with a smarmy grin. "Alright," she said. "Who's next?"


	96. Party Preparations

**Author's Note:** _Kind of fillerish but...eh. It is what it is._

* * *

><p><strong>XCVI: Party Preparations<strong>

Romeo fell asleep in the midst of his research at the library, so he and Macao didn't return to Cornelia until the next morning. The lizard was rather peeved; he'd attempted to wake his son up but was unable to do so without attracting attention from the hawkish librarian (who, apparently, was some sort of robot that never slept) and so also had to spend the night in the cold, dark library. "You nearly crushed me," he told his son as they walked into the castle.

"You shouldn't have curled up in my pocket," Romeo answered.

"I was cold! I'm cold-blooded now, Romeo!" He looked up when his son stopped in the middle of the ballroom, gaping. Macao followed his gaze, taking in the gaudy decorations plastered everywhere around the room, seemingly centered on the intricate marble fountain of Cana playing cards.

"Wow," they said together.

"Yo, Romeo!" someone called. They turned to see Natsu and Happy headed their way, weaving through the busy swarm of workers as they set up last-minute preparations for the party that evening.

"Hey, Natsu," Romeo said. "What's going on, exactly?"

"Pretty crazy, huh? It's all Gildarts. He wanted to throw Cana the best party ever, so he's doing all this."

"I'm sure she's thrilled," Macao snorted. He imagined Cana would probably ignore the decorations at the party entirely and just guzzle the plentiful supply of booze. She hadn't even really wanted a party; what she wanted to spend her birthday with her father, but of course she would never say so.

"Where is Cana?" Romeo inquired, looking around as though he might find her among the activity.

"She went shopping with Lucy, Wendy, and Charle," Natsu said. "Apparently Wendy and Charle needed some gowns."

Romeo knocked his forehead. "Dang it! I forgot to pick up my suit!"

"Where were you?"

"The library. I fell asleep there last night."

"Didja find out anything?"

"No," Romeo sighed. "Nothing. It looks like we'll have to wait for that solid-script mage for Dad to get back to normal."

"Or I could kiss my true love," Macao growled.

"Yeah, but we already decided that wasn't going to happen, didn't we?"

"Don't worry," Natsu interjected, "Levy's great. She'll have you back in no time. She was the one who cut through Fried's rune barriers at his birthday ball, and she also broke Gajeel's curse. I'm sure she can handle yours."

"Aye," said Happy. "You'll probably have a few stragglers though. That girl's always got Gajeel or Jet and Droy following her around."

"As long as she can get me out of this useless body," Macao sighed. "Well, Romeo, I suppose we should go pick up your suit while it's still early. Soon the tailor's going to be slammed."

"Yeah, alright," Romeo agreed. He looked at Natsu. "Do you have a suit?"

"Yeah, I've got the one I wore at Elfman's wedding," Natsu said. "Are you still not going to the party, Macao?"

"No, not like this."

"That's lame," Natsu said, crossing his arms. "If you ask me, seems like Cana really wants you there. She told me that you used to take care of her when she visited and Gildarts was busy; seems like you're really important to her. If you really cared about her, you'd get over yourself and at least go to the first birthday she's able to spend with you and Gildarts." Natsu shrugged. "That's just me, though. C'mon, Happy, let's go."

Macao blinked after the Salamander, speechless.

"Wow," Romeo chuckled. "You know you're being thick when _Natsu_ has more insight than you do."

"Shut up, kid," Macao growled. "Let's go to the stupid freakin' tailor."

* * *

><p>"I'm so excited! My first party!" Wendy said as the four women walked down the corridor to Lucy's bedroom to get ready for the ball. Cana had purchased dresses for them and even treated them to hot chocolate, so Lucy offered Cancer's barbering services as an act of gratitude, which everyone cheerfully accepted.<p>

"They didn't have dances in Cat Shelter?" Lucy asked as she opened the door to her room.

"Not really. There were celebrations, but there were no lavish decorations or fancy clothes. The entire village just gathered around the main square and shared a meal and danced to music." The four girls filed in and dumped their newly purchased items on the bed.

Natsu erupted from the covers without warning, roaring like a beast. The girls screamed, and Natsu was assaulted by a gust of wind, Cana's cards, and Lucy's foot. He toppled out of the bed, defeated. "Ow...that was uncalled for," he moaned.

"GET OUT!" the females ordered, pointing toward the door.

"Fine...fine..."

Charle narrowed her eyes and crept over to the blue tail sticking out from under the bed. Scowling, she mercilessly stomped on it, inciting a yelp from the feline slinking below the mattress. "You, too," she said coldly as Happy emerged with tears in his eyes. She stared him down as he followed the Salamander out and closed the door behind him.

"The nerve of those two!" Lucy huffed.

"Natsu really likes your bed," Cana remarked.

"Oh, give it a rest."

Cana chuckled. "Alright, alright. No more. Now, let's get started, shall we? We've only got two hours to make ourselves beautiful!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and selected Cancer from her key ring. "_Open, the Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!_" With a bubbling burst, the half-man, half-crustacean Spirit stood before them, scissors clicking in the light.

"What can I do for you, ebi?" he said coolly, looking around at all of them.

Cana snorted. "Why does he call you 'ebi'?"

"Oh, crab..." Charle murmured, salivating.

"Not you, too," Lucy groaned. She sighed. "Girls, this is Cancer. Cancer, these are my friends, Cana, Wendy, and Charle. We've got a ball to attend tonight, and we were wondering if you would help us with our hair."

"It would be my pleasure, ebi," the crab said, bowing. He clicked his scissors at them, sunglasses flashing. "Who would like to go first?"

Wendy and Cana glanced at each other. "Lucy, why don't you do the honors?" the card mage said.

Lucy rolled her eyes and pulled up a chair in front of Cancer. She described her dress to him and let him decide what hairstyle would go best. His scissors snipped quickly and his hands moved in her blonde locks, gently tugging and pulling. The others watched, fascinated, as Lucy's hair became an elegant swirl of yellow curls that slipped down to her shoulders. Cancer used a clip to pin part of it up behind her ear, although it was uncertain where from the clip had materialized. He backed away and handed Lucy a mirror to assess his work.

"Wow, you look great!" Wendy praised.

"This is amazing, Cancer," Lucy agreed, smiling as she handed him the mirror. "Thank you."

Cana's hand shot up into the air. "Oh, me next!"

Lucy sat down next to Wendy on the bed as Cancer worked feverishly on Cana's thick, long brown curls. Wendy eyed the golden keys on Lucy's hip curiously. "How many do you have?" she asked.

"Hmm...let's see...twelve, it looks like."

"Why are some of them golden and some of them silver?"

"The golden ones are Zodiac keys," Lucy explained. "That means that anyone can use them. If I were to hand you Cancer's key, for example, you would be able to summon him as well as me. The silver keys are special ones that only I can use."

"Why are they special?"

"It's...complicated."

Wendy nodded and didn't press, for which Lucy was grateful. She suspected that Wendy understood boundaries, and that there were a few things the girl wouldn't want to chat about either.

"Ebi, she is done," Cancer decreed, spinning Cana around and handing her a mirror. Her hair was in a sassy up-do, with vivacious curls springing like wires down her neck and around her head. She cocked an eyebrow and smirked.

"Huh, what d'you know? I might actually enjoy this thing after all."

"My turn!" Wendy declared excitedly.

Once Cancer was done weaving little white flowers in Wendy's hair, the girls did their make up and put on their dresses. Cana's dusky orange silk dress clung to the curves of her body like they were the only thing keeping it on. Lucy's dress was a fitted red sleeveless that flared out at the bottom and glittered slightly in the light as though made of subtle rubies. The dress Wendy wore was more modest, a deep purple slip with the pattern of white daisies. Charle sported a simple pink frock that made her look soft and girlish.

"Are we lookin' fine or what?!" Cana cheered as they burst from Lucy's room to meet Gildarts in his study before the party. "We're gonna turn every head tonight, ladies. All eyes are gonna be on us."

"Well, on you two," Wendy murmured, blushing modestly.

"Nonsense! You look great," Lucy said.

"Romeo won't be able to keep his little paws off you," Cana added.

"Wh-what?!"

"Quit it," Charle chastised, scowling.

"You're all so uptight," Cana sighed dramatically. She opened the door to her father's study without bothering to knock. "Yo, Pops, we're ready to party! There'll be booze there, right?"

Gildarts looked up from his desk. Upon seeing his daughter, his eyes filled with tears and he launched himself across the room, arms open wide to receive her embrace. "Cana, my little girl, you've grown up so fast...!"

In one deft movement, Cana grabbed his silk tie an yanked it tight around his throat before he could touch her. She released Gildarts when his face began to turn blue. As he hacked and coughed in front of her, her face softened a pinch. "You know, you don't clean up half bad," she told him, gently brushing dirt from the lapel of his brown suit. Then her face contorted and she grabbed his tie again, peering at it critically. "Your tie is the same color as my dress!" she exclaimed incredulously. "I never showed you my dress! Did you _spy_ on me so we would match?!"

"Of course not," Gildarts scoffed. "I just asked your fitter to show it to me, that's all."

"How do you know what fitter I went to?!"

"Macao told me."

"Macao didn't know either!"

Gildarts struggled for several seconds to formulate an answer, when his gaze focused on something beyond Cana's shoulder and he gave a huge smile of relief. "Oh, good, Natsu and Happy, you're here!"

Natsu, who was walking innocently down the hallway and was simply drawn to all the ruckus, raised his eyebrows and pointed at himself. He was dressed in the same dashing black suit he wore for Elfman and Evergreen's wedding, his scarf tucked neatly under his collar. Lucy turned and blushed, suddenly self-conscious in her revealing gown. Which was stupid. Really stupid.

"Charle!" Happy cried, flying out from behind Natsu and tumbling in front of the white cat. He hopped up and grinned at her coyly, twiddling his blue paws. "Wow, you look...um...really pretty."

"I can't believe you're not wearing an article of clothing _still_," Charle said, running her eyes down Happy's blue fur. "It's a ball, Happy. Don't you have any sense of decorum? Don't you have any sense of decency? People are going to treat you like a common house cat."

"That's not true!" Happy objected. He turned and pointed to his backpack. "I've got this!"

"Happy looks fine," Wendy said. She frowned, puzzled, and turned to Cana. "Right?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," Cana said, releasing her father. "It's a casual thing, anyway."

"No it's not!" Gildarts wheezed.

"Charle's just upset because she doesn't want her date looking like a hobo, that's all," she continued.

Happy perked up, completely ignoring the fact that Cana had just (probably) insulted his appearance. "I'm your date?!" he cheered.

"No, you are not my date!" Charle snapped.

"Well, you need someone to escort you," Cana pointed out. "Natsu is escorting Lucy - "

" - I am?"

" - and Romeo is escorting Wendy - "

" - he is?"

" - and Gildarts is escorting me - "

" - I knew you'd come around!"

" - so, it makes logical sense that Happy should escort you," Cana finished.

"Aye!" Happy eagerly concurred.

Charle glared at them. "Fine," she spat. "But this doesn't mean anything. This is simply a matter of convenience."

"I'll take what I can get!"

"Where _is_ Romeo?" Wendy inquired.

Cana checked the clock on the wall. "He should be here any minute. I told him to meet us here ten minutes from now, but the kid does have a habit of being late."

They stopped and listened as hard, rapid footsteps echoed down the corridor and Romeo burst in, flushed from his sprint from the tailor. His suit was dark purple with a blue tie, slightly disheveled from the run. "Sorry I'm late, we - " He stopped mid-sentence when his eyes fell on Wendy, looking like something from a fairy tale with the flowers in her hair. The two children blushed vigorously and looked down at their feet, avoiding further eye contact.

"This is so much better than I imagined!" Cana said boisterously, grasping both kids and pulling them into an embrace. "You guys _match_! I think I might die from the cuteness!"

Romeo and Wendy hung limply in her arms, dazed and lightheaded from the force of their blushing.

Gildarts took pity on them and cleared his throat. "Shall we head off, then?" he asked, offering his arm to Cana.

She smiled and released the children, curling her hand around the crook of her father's elbow with surprising poise. "Hell yeah! Let's party!"

Natsu looked at Lucy and offered her a hand, which she accepted. "Is this when I should tell you that you look nice?" he whispered, remembering their conversation around the fire just a few nights ago. Lucy smiled and shook her head.

"There's no need to," she assured.

Romeo cleared his throat as they left the room, still focusing on his shoes. "So, um, Wendy...I know it's late but...you, uh...lookreallygreatandwillyoubemydateforCana'spar ty?"

Wendy blinked at the gibberish, but was unable to process it. "Um...pardon me?"

"Y-you...look really great," Romeo said slowly. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Will you be my date for Cana's party?"

"Oh!" Wendy exclaimed. "Yes, of course." She shyly offered her hand, which Romeo grinned and took in his own. Together, they walked out of the room.

"That. Was. Adorable," said Happy.

"It was," Charle agreed, smiling endearingly after Wendy.

"Well...looks like it's just us."

"Let's just get this over with."

"You know, Charle," Happy said, jogging after her as she sped out of the room and down the corridor. "You look really beautiful tonight. I mean that."

Charle froze and turned back to him, eyes narrowed. He blinked at her, completely earnest. She sighed and gave him a small smile. "Thank you," she said. Then she took his paw in her own and dragged him down the corridor with her. "Now come on, let's go. We're going to be late."

Happy was too lost in bliss to respond.


	97. True Love's Kiss

**Author's Note:** _Yes, yes, lots of blatant shipping in the last chapter, but oh, well, what can you do? In this chapter we have many exciting mysteries to solve: what was Lucy's card, and will Natsu discover it? Will Macao make it to the ball? Will he ever get back to normal? We'll also see a character from the Games, but he will be the last one...no other plot twists will be pulled from post-time skip. Now, onward! _

* * *

><p><strong>XCVII: True Love's Kiss<strong>

By the time the guest of honor arrived, the ballroom was already full of people. There were citizens from every orifice of Onibus Town; there were the regal nobilities in their elegant silks and satins, prancing about the room with their noses up in the air and trying not to mingle with the desperately gaudy, glittering bourgeoisie. Most of the crowd was a bland palette of dull green, gray, and blue, the simple bakers and blacksmiths and innkeepers who couldn't afford the bright plumage of the rich. There were also a sprinkling of traveling merchants, those men and women who boasted the exotic garb of Edolas and Extalia and even the distant island of Tenrou.

Everyone stared when Gildarts's herald announced their names. It occurred to Cana that they probably weren't gaping at the familiar face of their duke; they were looking at her, the elusive Cana Clive who had barely emerged from Cornelia Castle in eighteen years. They didn't know her. They knew her exuberant father, and they missed her charitable mother, but they didn't have a clue what to think about her.

Cana held her chin high and smiled at them radiantly. She wasn't fazed by their wide, curious eyes. She wasn't afraid of their judgment. She wasn't exuberant and she wasn't charitable, she wasn't dainty or especially kind like Gildarts boasted, but she could hold her own in a fight just was well as she could hold her liquor. Even if that fight was a silent one.

Some of the crowd came to greet her before she even reached the bottom of the stairs. Her friends, who had filed out before her, were already absorbed into the crowd. She caught a fleeting glimpse of the Salamander's pink hair, but that was all.

Cana shook hands and smiled and tried to assign faces to names, but everyone was a big blur. Her hand was molested by sweaty palms, limp fish, crushing vices, and slobbery lips. Already she could feel her eye twitching.

Gildarts didn't seem to notice. He dragged her round the room like a dog on a leash, introducing her to everyone they came in contact whether they liked it or not. Gildarts seemed to know everyone, from the highest nobility to the poorest peasant, and he greeted them all with the same booming exclamation and inviting grin. Then he would turn to her and say, "This is my daughter, Cana." She would smile and surrender her hand for a kiss. And then she would hear about how much she looked like her mother.

They had almost made a complete circle around the room when they came across Lucy and Natsu at the buffet. The Dragonslayer had his plate piled high with delicacies. Lucy had the grace to look embarrassed; or maybe that was dejection. It didn't look like they'd visited the dance floor yet.

"I'm gonna get something to drink," Cana told Gildarts, prying his hand from her arm.

"Me, too. I'm - oh, look, Bacchus is waving us over to him! He's a merchant who came here all the way from Edolas after the war broke out. It looks like he wants to say hi!"

Cana forced out a smile that was more of a grimace. "Go ahead. I'll meet you over there in a second."

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything."

Gildarts shrugged and walked over to his buddy, who embraced him with a manly hug and much back-thumping. Cana collapsed next to Lucy, reaching for a drink. "I am so done with this stupid party," she groaned, kicking off her heels. "My feet are killing me, I'm so hungry I think my stomach is about to eat itself, and I swear to Mavis, if someone puts their disgusting, germy, fat lips on my hand one more time I'm going to sock them in the face."

"It sounds like you're having a rough night," Lucy said, sliding her plate over to Cana. "But isn't this your birthday party? Shouldn't you be having the most fun?"

"This party is for Pops," Cana huffed. "I didn't really want it and this is exactly why. I hate decorum and manners and these stupid shoes!"

"Then why do you put up with it?" Natsu asked through a mouth full of food.

"Trust me, if it was just about what people think about me, I wouldn't," Cana sighed. "But if I embarrass Pops..."

"You won't embarrass him. All he wants is for you to have fun and be happy," Natsu said.

"Gildarts adores you," Lucy concurred. "There's nothing you could do to shame him. Sure, he may put you up on a pedestal, but I think that at the end of the day he brags about you so much because he loves everything about you, even your gritty personality and drinking habits that verge on alcoholism."

"...I feel like I was just insulted," said Cana.

"Take Natsu, for example," Lucy plowed on, gesturing to the gluttonous Dragonslayer. "He's not exactly the epitome of decorum. He cleans up nice, but his behavior at a ball is inappropriate and his table manners are downright deplorable."

"Now I feel like I was insulted," Natsu objected.

"But I come with him anyway because there's no one else I'd rather sit beside," Lucy finished. Then she glared at him. "_Or dance with_."

"I see what you mean," Cana muttered. "If you can love Natsu despite his disgusting table manners, then Gildarts will still accept me even if I'm not ladylike at a party."

"Wait, wait, wait, I never said anything about lo - "

"That makes perfect sense!" Cana exclaimed. She stood and swooned as the room spun around her. "Whoa, I need some air. See ya later, you two! Thanks for the advice, Lucy!"

Lucy and Natsu watched her stumble through the crowd in her bare feet, attracting more than a few raised eyebrows. "I think I just created a monster," Lucy said, frowning. She glanced at Cana's glass and reeled when she realized that sometime during the conversation the brunette had grabbed a bottle of Scotch and downed the entire thing. "This isn't good. Maybe I should go after her?"

"Nah, she'll probably just vomit over the railing or something. Better than her making a big scene in here," Natsu said, waving a dismissive hand. He grinned at her. "So you love me, huh?"

Lucy blushed crimson. "Th-those were Cana's words, not mine! She totally misunderstood what I was saying!"

"That's funny, because I found this in your room while I was waiting for you guys to get back from dress shopping," Natsu said, pulling a thick tarot card from his front pocket. He twirled it around in his fingers, flipping from the back to the painted-on dragon on the other side. Lucy's face became the shade of a tomato.

"_Natsu_! Give that back! Why were you snooping through my things?! What right do you have to - ?"

"What right do _you_ have to steal things from our friends?" Natsu snapped, frowning. "I know there's a chance it might help us find Igneel, but you still shouldn't have taken it from Cana, especially not after everything she's done for us. Stealing is wrong, Lucy."

"...Right," Lucy squeaked, her lips pressed together in a thin line. "I stole it. You're right. I...thought it could possibly lead us to Igneel, so I stole it. I _totally_ stole it, and I feel horrible about it. About stealing it, that is. Because I stole it. From Cana."

"You should give it back to her after the party," Natsu said, handing her the card. "I'm really disappointed in you, Luce."

"You should be. I'm disappointed in myself. For stealing it," Lucy said, snatching the card and sticking it in the bodice of her dress. "I promise I'll give it back to Cana, since I stole it and there's no other way for me to have acquired it. I don't know what I was thinking when I stole it. I don't know what came over me when I stole it."

Natsu planted a hand on her shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it too much. You had good intentions."

"I did. I had good intentions. When I stole it."

"But that's still no excuse."

"You're right. There's no excuse for stealing."

"I'm glad we got that cleared up," said Natsu. He grinned at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her unsteadily to her feet. "Now, let's dance!"

* * *

><p>Cana leaned against the railing of the balcony with her chin on her fist, staring out into the quiet city. Inside the ballroom was a bright, claustrophobic mess, but outside the air was chill with winter and the streets were uncharacteristically silent. Cana rubbed her arms. There were goosebumps on the skin, but she didn't feel cold. The alcohol had warmed her blood.<p>

She didn't feel like going back inside. All she wanted was to spend time with Gildarts and Macao and Romeo, but they were all doing their own thing. Cana supposed she couldn't really blame Romeo, though; after all, Wendy was a cute little sweetheart. But Gildarts was too busy trying to get everyone else to meet her, and Macao hadn't even come because of his stupid curse. She sighed, letting her breath out in a small cloud.

There was a creak of a door and the sound of people. Cana turned to see a man stepping outside. He looked like one of the merchants, with his tattoos and bright purple clothing and long hair tied in a knot. Earrings hung from his ears and there was a gourd on his back. Definitely a merchant.

"Yo," he greeted, striding toward her with one hand in his pocket, cool as a cucumber. "You're Clive's girl, right?"

"Who wants to know?" Cana inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

The man joined her at the railing, leaning his back against it. He grinned at her response and held out a hand. "The name's Bacchus."

"Cana." She shook it. His grip was warm and strong. He was the first man tonight who hadn't kissed her hand. She liked that. "You're that merchant Pops was talking to, aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged," Bacchus shrugged. Cana smirked. She was sure just by his demeanor that Bacchus was guilty of a lot more than talking to her father. "He actually sent me out here looking for you. He went back to the table where he left you and you'd gone off, so, Gildarts being Gildarts, he immediately panicked and sent out a search party."

"Ugh," Cana groaned, "as if there isn't enough partying already."

"What? The infamous Cana Clive is all tuckered out? I must admit, I'm disappointed. Tales of a wondrously tolerant woman reached my ears during my travels across Fiore. I've heard stories of a woman drinks like a man and looks like a goddess. A wild woman with wild appetites." Bacchus ran his eyes down her body, then back up. Cana's eyebrows stayed up, and there were a whole new set of goosebumps on her skin. "I guess I had the wrong Cana Clive. A shame. I was looking forward to seeing if the stories were true."

"Then look no farther," Cana purred. "Go tell Pops that I'm fine, and get the bar ready. I'll show you who's got the wilder appetite."

Bacchus grinned and pushed off the railing, swaggering back in to the ballroom with one last lingering look at Cana's behind. Then he closed the door behind him and the world was silent and cold again. Cana sighed and stood up straight, stretching her arms over her head. She was tired, but she was going to defend her title no matter what the cost, and maybe earn a little man-candy along the way. Bacchus did seem like an awful lot of fun.

"What the hell was that?!"

Cana nearly jumped out of her dress at the disembodied voice. She wheeled around, expecting to see a silhouette by the door, but there was no one. "Who was that? Show yourself!"

"Over here, woman. You should be used to this by now." Cana turned until she spotted a purple lizard dressed in a little black suit balanced on the railing, waving his arms in order to get her attention. She blinked and held out her hand. The lizard scampered on, digging his tiny claws into her palm as she brought him to her face.

"Macao?"

"No shit, it's Macao!" the lizard snapped, hands on his hips. "Do you know any other talking lizards?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought Macao wasn't coming," Cana retorted bitterly. "My mistake."

"Well, I'm here," Macao said, crossing his arms. "I would have got to you sooner, but Romeo lost sight of you in the ballroom, so I had to find you myself, which was no easy task. But find you, I did. And with _company_."

Cana raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about Bacchus?"

"So, bad-boy Flirty McFlirterson has a name. _Bacchus_. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Like freakin' Greek, or something."

"Macao...are you...jealous?" Cana said.

"No, I'm not _jealous_!" Macao scoffed, wrinkling his nose at the notion. "Why would I be jealous? You're, like, half my age! Not even!"

"Good, because I'm not in to old farts like you," Cana responded. "Certainly not ones with nasty-ass mustaches who go around groping poor old women and getting themselves turned into reptiles."

"I'm going to ignore that unprovoked string of insults," Macao hissed. "Look, I'm just concerned about the company you're keeping, that's all. It is your eighteenth birthday, your debut into the marrying world. Why don't you go chat up one of those nice noblemen your father introduced you to?"

"Why don't I flick you off this balcony and see what comes to eat you first when you land in the bushes?"

"What is your problem?"

"What's _your_ problem?! Where do you get off on telling me who to interact with? Especially considering the fact that you weren't even going to come tonight, even after you said you would!" Cana's lip curled into a sneer. "What changed your mind, huh? Did Romeo guilt-trip you into it? Did you finally decide to share your story with the ladies and see who would make out with you?"

Macao looked own at his feet, where were bare, presumably because there weren't shoes to fit his tiny lizard appendages. It was amazing that he even managed to find a suit. "I know that you were upset when I told you I wasn't coming, and you had a right. I shouldn't have broken my promise to you under any circumstances, especially after I've broken so many."

"So, it was a guilt-trip, then," Cana said, looking away.

"No. Romeo didn't have anything to do with my decision to come tonight. It was all about you. You're very special to me, Cana, even though it wasn't in the way you wanted. I don't know if you still feel the same way now, but..."

"Of course I don't. I'm not a stupid child anymore," Cana snapped. "I'm over you. That was just a little girl's delusion. But that doesn't mean I don't care about you at all, and that doesn't mean you can go disappear for weeks at a time without checking in on me or Romeo. He worries about you, too. And that doesn't mean you can promise me a dance at my eighteenth birthday party and then come back from your trip as a freaking lizard! You're too old and too committed to certain responsibilities to do the kind of stupid crap that gets you in those kind of situations, Macao!"

"You're right," Macao agreed. "Although, the lizard thing was a complete accident. But you're right about the responsibilities, and the promise-breaking. I am going to keep my promise to you, Cana."

"How? It's not exactly like you can dance when you're three inches tall."

"That's why I came out here to find you," Macao said. "You see, I was thinking about what Wendy and Romeo were saying earlier, about how true love's kiss will break the curse."

"Yeah? We already determined that wasn't happening for you."

"We did, but I think we jumped the gun. It was never specified what _kind_ of true love is required to break the spell. It just has to be true love, a mutual affection from one person to another," Macao said. He touched her palm with his claw. "I may not love you like lovers do, Cana, but I can't think of another woman who means more to me than you do. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is."

"...You're kidding me, right?" Cana said. "You actually want me to _kiss_ you, lizard-lips?"

"Name-calling isn't necessary," Macao said wryly. "You don't have to do it. In fact, there's really no point if you don't care about me. But if you do, I don't see the harm in giving it a shot."

"I guess that makes sense," Cana agreed. "But only one kiss, got it? Don't expect anymore sugar after that."

"Trust me, I won't," Macao deadpanned.

Cana gulped and moved the lizard closer to her face. Macao closed his eyes and pursed his lips expectantly. Resisting the urge to slap him, Cana counted to three, closed her eyes, and went for it.

His mouth was scaly and cold and small against hers. The kiss was chaste, lasting no more than a second, but Cana's heart was pounding and her cheeks were flaming when she pulled away. She knew that reaction was stupid, but there was nothing she could do to control it.

Macao opened his eyes and looked down at himself hopefully. They waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened. Macao remained in his lizard state, his long purple tail curled across Cana's palm. He frowned, disappointed, and shrugged at her. "Sure you don't want to try it again? Maybe this time with a little tongue?"

"You're disgusting!" Cana cried. Having had enough, she clenched him in her fist and hurled him against the wall of the castle, turning on her heel and crossing her arms with a huff. A bright purple light flared up from behind her, followed by a bodily thump and the groan of a fully grown man. Cana blinked and wheeled around again, this time coming face to face with Macao - the real, human Macao - splayed across the stones, naked with the exception of a few ragged strips from the doll's tuxedo he'd worn. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head, and looked down on himself with an elated grin.

"I can't believe it. The curse is broken! I don't know what you did, Cana, maybe it was the tough love, maybe it was sheer dumb luck, but I'm back to normal!" He leapt off the ground and took her in his arms, spinning her around in his excitement. Cana was too startled to really share in his joy, and her face was hot pink from embarrassment. When Macao put her down, she averted her eyes.

"Uh...I think you should go get some clothes on," she suggested lamely. "You know, before someone else sees you."

No sooner had the words left her mouth did the door to the balcony open for a third time that night, this time revealing the tall, lean form of Gildarts. "Cana, are you still out here - ?" The duke froze when he saw Macao, stark naked, with his hands still on Cana's shoulders, and in human form. His face was horrified, and then angry as he quickly put the pieces together. Macao's eyes widened as he did the same.

"Wait, Gildarts, it's not what it looks like - "

"YOU _BASTARD_! YOU SICK, LECHEROUS _PERVERT_! GET _AWAY_ FROM MY CANA!" With a roar like a bear, Gildarts came barreling toward the defenseless Macao. They collided with wet smack and flipped right over the edge of the balcony, tumbling down into the bushes. Cana peered over and watched as Macao hopped up and began running, pursued by Gildarts, who continued to scream hair-curling profanities after him.

"Forget this," Cana sighed, turning back to the party. "I'm gonna have a drink."


	98. The Present

**Author's Note:** _It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..._

* * *

><p><strong>XCVIII: The Present<strong>

The rest of Cana's birthday party was a disaster. A glorious, hilarious, unforgettable disaster.

Cana and the traveling merchant Bacchus began drinking, and drinking, and drinking, until there was eventually nothing else to drink. They were both impressed with the other and elated to find someone who could match their outrageous alcoholic appetites barrel for barrel. They boisterously laughed at bawdy jokes for the rest of the night, drawing many a disbelieving eye from the snootier of guests. The others were just disappointed at the sudden lack of booze.

Gildarts eventually returned with a fully-dressed and fully-chastised Macao, only to discover that his darling daughter was roaring drunk and dancing quite sleazily with an equally drunk Bacchus. Face flushed and covered with outdoor debris, Gildarts stepped between them and showed Bacchus the _appropriate_ way to dance with a beautiful girl. Cana rolled her eyes, but secretly she was glad to finally dance with her father, who didn't seem even slightly embarrassed by her slovenly state. Bacchus winked at her over his shoulder as he left the party.

The next dance was reserved for Macao, who had managed to explain the events on the balcony to Gildarts after a thorough ass-whooping. The story didn't do much to calm the duke down, but at least it prevented him from skinning Macao alive. It also convinced him to let Macao keep his promise. So, once his song was over, Gildarts passed Cana over to Macao, glowering murderously. "If I see a hand drift," he warned, "I will cut it off."

Gildarts didn't have to worry about Macao's notoriously wandering hands. A few seconds into the song, Cana's face became green and she vomited all over his shoes. After that, the party was over.

Once all the guests had gone, everyone with the exception of Cana, who was unconscious, and Macao, who was trying to figure out how to get out of his shoes without touching them, helped clean up the ballroom. "We should leave tomorrow," Natsu told Lucy as they ripped ribbon off the walls. "It's about a day's walk to Acalypha. If we start walking tomorrow morning, we should be there by the next morning."

"Or we could take a carriage, and it would only take a few hours," Lucy suggested.

"You're leaving so soon?" Romeo complained. "But you just got here!"

"We've been here for almost a week," Lucy laughed. "We wouldn't want to overstay our welcome."

"Yeah, kid, haven't you had enough of us yet?" Natsu put in.

"Don't worry, Romeo, Charle said that she and Wendy are staying here," Happy said.

The boy blushed. "I know that! Jeez, not _everything _is about Wendy, you know. I was just hoping that Natsu could teach me some of his fire magic."

"S'not something I can teach," Natsu said. "You've gotta learn it from a dragon from birth. But when I find Igneel, maybe I'll introduce you."

"That'd be awesome!"

Lucy's hand went to the bodice of her dress, where the dragon card was nestled. She bit her lip and watched the back of Natsu's head as he talked to Romeo. In only a few days they would be in Acalypha, her destination, perhaps her last stop in this journey of theirs. She would stay with her father, and Natsu would move on, go to a different city in his perpetual search for the dragon who fostered and abandoned him. How long would it be before she saw him again? Would he even visit her if he didn't know how she felt? Did _she_ even know how she felt?

Natsu turned and his eyes found her face. Lucy's heart leap into her throat. She must be an open book. He could probably read every single emotion as plain as day. It seemed like everyone else could, anyway.

"You feeling okay, Lucy?" he asked her, walking over. He put a hand on her forehead, but it was so warm that he probably wouldn't be able to feel a fever even if Lucy had one. "You look a little...off. Are you sick? We don't have to leave tomorrow if you're not feeling good."

"I'm not sick," Lucy muttered. She reached into her bodice and pulled out the card. "Natsu, there's something I have to tell you. About Cana's dragon card."

"I don't blame you for not giving it back yet. Maybe tomorrow before we leave."

"No, it's not that. I...I didn't steal the card. I know I said I did, but that was a lie." She took a deep breath, blinking up at his inquisitive face. "Cana gave the card to me. It...it was part of a love fortune she did on me."

Lucy watched his expression carefully. Would he understand what she was trying to tell him? Would it finally click?

"A...love fortune?" Natsu frowned thoughtfully. Then his eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped in bewilderment. "Lucy?! Are you in love with...with _Igneel_?!"

"_ARE YOU KIDDING?!"_ everyone who had listened in exclaimed.

"You...you are _unbelievable_!" Lucy shrieked. She threw the card at him, but it only fluttered harmlessly down to his feet. "I don't know why I even try! You're never going to understand!"

With that she turned on her heel and stomped away, leaving Natsu even more confused than before.

Lucy slammed the door to her room and flopped on her bed. She rolled over and glared at the ceiling, staring until her face became slack and smooth. She shouldn't even worry about that stupid idiot Dragonslayer. In just two days she would meet her father for the first time. That was what she needed to worry about.

She reached for the key ring and plucked out a single golden key. "_Open, the Gate of the Lion! Leo!_" In a shower of golden light, her twin brother stood before her, impeccably dressed in a suit and zebra-printed tie, hair even spikier than before, sunglasses flashing in the glow of the lamp. He blinked at her and smiled, taking her hand and kissing it.

"You look ravishing, Lucy," he purred. "You didn't have to get all dressed up just to see me."

"I figured I'd return the favor," she replied, pulling her hand away and gesturing to his garb. "Actually, I just got back from a birthday ball."

"I see." Loke looked around. "Where are we, exactly?"

"Cornelia Castle in Onibus Town. The birthday ball was for Cana Clive, the duke's daughter. They insisted we stay after everything that happened up on the beanstalk. Tomorrow we're leaving for Acalypha."

"I see," the Lion said again, his face growing dark. "I take it you wanted to talk to me about our father, correct?"

"I wanted to know if you'd changed your mind about meeting him," said Lucy.

"No. And I maintain my opinion that you should just forget him, too," Loke replied. "He's not a good man, Lucy. At the very least, he's not going to be what you want." He sat down and took her hands. "You'd be better off just sticking with Natsu and Happy. You're happy with them, and just look at the life you're leading. If you stay with Father, you'll be cooped up in Love and Lucky, studying for when you inherit the business. It will be nothing but schooling, day in and day out. Is that really what you want, Lucy?"

"I want to meet my family," Lucy said. "So maybe it won't be as exciting. But...he's our father, Loke. I need to at least let him know that I'm alive, and see his face. Besides," she added bitterly, "it's not like Natsu and I are getting anywhere fast."

Loke's face became amused. "I take it something happened?"

"Nothing," Lucy stonewalled. She sighed. "I'll respect your decision about seeing our father, but I'm still going through with my part."

"Just be sure this is what you really want," Loke warned.

"It is," Lucy said with a nod. "And it's not like I've decided to live there for the rest of my life. I just want to meet him, that's all. I'll go from there. So don't worry about me too much, okay?"

"You're my sister," Loke said, tapping her chin. "I'll always worry about you too much."

Lucy smiled. "Take care, Loke. And tell Virgo and Aries I said hello."

"I will. Summon me if I need to punch some sense into Natsu."

Lucy felt his hands melt under hers. Then he was gone. Then she lowered herself back down onto the bed. She dug around for a second key, and with a bubblegum _pop!_ Plue sat by her side, shaking with excitement. She rolled over and folded his warm, shivering body into her arms, digging her face into his white fur.

Across the castle, Natsu was also laying in bed, closing his eyes in anticipation of sleep. Happy curled up on the pillow beside him, his great round eyes wide and shining in the dark as he watched the Dragonslayer closely. "Natsu," he said, "do we have to leave tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Natsu responded without opening his eyes. "We've gotta get Lucy to Acalypha, remember? We promised."

"But...one more day won't hurt, will it?"

Natsu opened one eye, peeking at his friend. "We'll come visit here again so you can see Charle. You can gather up a bunch of cool souvenirs and impress her with all the places you've been. Maybe one day she'll wanna join us."

"Aye," Happy sighed. That was only if she wanted to see him. Though the night had started out nicely, their relationship had developed very little over the duration of the party. She hadn't wanted to dance, or talk, or do anything but watch the other party goers, particularly Wendy and Romeo. Happy hadn't even gotten a goodnight kiss.

Happy waited for a few more minutes, counting the stars he could see from the sliver of the window. He got to fifty and then looked at Natsu, who's eyes were open and staring at the ceiling. "You do know she's not in love with Igneel, right?" the cat said.

Natsu sighed and pulled the dragon tarot card from his pocket, turning it over in his hands. The painting was very detailed, a red dragon that clung to the side of a mountain and blew yellow-orange fire from its nostrils. A beautiful dragon, but clearly not Igneel. "Yeah," Natsu said, setting the card face-down on the table beside him. "I know."

"Then why - ?"

"In two days, Lucy's gonna meet her father for the first time ever," Natsu interrupted. "That's a big deal. She still hasn't decided whether she wants to live with him in Acalypha yet, and I don't want anything influencing her decision. She deserves a chance to get to know her dad."

"Oh," said Happy.

Natsu closed his eyes again and rolled over so his back was to Happy. "Let's go to sleep, now. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Aye," Happy whispered, closing his eyes. "Okay. Goodnight, Natsu."

"G'night, Happy."

* * *

><p>The next morning, after they had packed everything they would need for the walk to Acalypha, Natsu opened the door to his room and was shocked to discover Wendy waiting for him out in the corridor, leaning nervously against the opposite wall. Charle sat by her feet, resting her chin on her paw. The girl and her cat perked up when they noticed that Natsu had emerged.<p>

"Oh, hey," he said, pausing the threshold. "What's up, Wendy?"

"Good morning, Natsu, Happy," Wendy said politely, nodding to the small blue cat as he peeked over Natsu's shoulder curiously. "I...I know this is probably inconvenient, but I wanted to talk to you privately before you left."

"About what?"

"I know it's not fair of me to ask," Wendy said, "since I'm not joining you or helping you search. But...when you find Igneel...would you ask him about the Sky Dragon Grandine? If you can give me any information at all, I'd be truly grateful."

Natsu smiled and patted her head. "Of course I will. But you've gotta promise to let me know if you hear something too, okay?"

"Okay," Wendy nodded.

"Charle," Happy piped up, "is there anything you came here to say?"

"What would I possibly want to say to either of you?" Charle retorted. "I only came because I didn't think it was appropriate for Wendy to stand alone in the males' wing."

"C'mon, let's go," Natsu said, closing the door to his borrowed room. "Lucy's probably waiting for us."

They walked to the front of Cornelia Castle, where a group of people were gathered. Romeo saw them and waved. "There he is!" he said to Lucy, who was tapping her foot. Natsu winced. It looked like she was still peeved about the dragon card.

"It's about time," she said uncharitably. "We've waited out here for, like, twenty minutes."

"I know I said you guys could stay until Cana's party, but you really don't have to leave today," Gildarts put in. "There are plenty of beds open. You could stay for another couple days, relax, make some money..."

"Thanks, but we should be headed forward," Lucy responded in a much less temperamental tone.

Gildarts shrugged. "Your loss. But you three are always welcome to Cornelia Castle."

"Thank you for all your hospitality," the trio said.

"I also wanted to say thank you for taking care of my son," Macao said, stepping forward. "He told me how you gave him shelter in the woods and fought and protected him on the beanstalk. It means a lot to me. Thank you."

"I didn't get a thanks..." Gildarts muttered. "I was there, too, you know."

"Oh, and Natsu," Macao continued, clapping a hand on the Salamander's shoulder. "Thanks for that advice you gave me. Without it, I'd still probably be a lizard. And a very sorry one at that."

Gildarts narrowed his eyes suspiciously, flicking between the two of them. "What advice...? Natsu, did you tell him to kiss my daughter?!"

"No!" Natsu said, throwing his hands up. "Slayer's honor!"

"That's not a thing," Wendy accused.

"Wait a second," Lucy interrupted, looking around. "Where's Cana?"

"Probably fighting off a killer hang over," Macao snorted.

Gildarts smacked the back of his head. "I'm sure that she is resting after the festivities last night. I'll send her your regards, and I'm sure she'd want me to tell you to have a safe trip."

"Be careful," Wendy agreed, embracing Lucy. "And thank you, for everything."

"I'll come visit you sometime," Lucy said, smiling. "You can show me everything you've learned. I'm sure you'll enjoy your new life here in Onibus. And Romeo," she added, eyeing the boy. "Take care of her, will you?"

"Hey, that's my job!" Charle snapped.

"No," Wendy said gently. "No, I don't want people to take care of me anymore. I want to get stronger so that I can take care of myself."

Charle and Romeo both smiled. "That's my girl," they said simultaneously. Then Romeo and Wendy both blushed, Charle scowled, and Lucy laughed.

"Alright, you ready to go, Luce?" Natsu asked.

Lucy nodded, in brighter spirits. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"WAIT!" Everyone turned to see Cana bolting toward them, disheveled, bedraggled, and still wearing the orange dress from her party. She screeched to a stop in front of Lucy, doubled over and gasping for breath. "Before...you go...," she wheezed, a bit pale in the face, "I wanted...to give you...this..." She took Lucy's hand and dropped something heavy and cold on her palm. Lucy gasped and lifted the golden key up to her face, speechless.

"Is that a Zodiac key?" said Natsu, surprised.

Cana nodded. "My mom's. It was the only one she owned. After she passed away, she gave it to me to keep, but I could never get used to summoning the Spirit. I guess teamwork just isn't my thing. I don't know the correct way to use it...and I think that it would be better off in your hands, Lucy. I can tell by the way you talk about your Spirits that you genuinely care about them. So take care of him, okay?"

"Cana...I...I don't know what to say," Lucy breathed. "Are you sure this is what you want? I mean...it belonged to your mom..."

"Cornelia would have wanted the Spirit to be as free as possible," Gildarts said, putting an arm around his daughter. "Cana's right. You should take it, Lucy. We've got a whole castle to commemorate Cornelia, and she will live forever in our hearts. Take the key. He's yours."

"Thank you!" Lucy said, throwing her arms around them. "I'll take good care of him, I promise!"

"Goodbye!" Cana called as the trio began trekking toward the tree line of the East Forest. "Come back now, you hear?!"

They turned and waved, grinning from ear to ear. And for a second, their worries about the future were pushed from their thoughts. There was no uncertainty, no looming decisions, no mysteries, no blank fortune. There was just the present.


	99. Gruff

**Author's Note:** _Hey there! I know it's been a while, but I've been crazy busy. And, unfortunately, I don't think it's going to get any better. We're embarking upon the last arc of the story! I can't believe the end is so near. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself after this is all over. But that's a problem for another time, I suppose. Just a heads up, this will be the last update this year. Happy holidays and I'll see you in 2014!_

_Within this chapter I included a little bit of a mini-tale. Can anyone guess what it is?_

* * *

><p><strong>XCIX: Gruff<strong>

The path to Acalypha was covered in snow. Winter had finally caught up to them in all its icy glory, frosting the tall trees of the East Forest in white, powdery crystals. Snowflakes spiraled down from the gray heavens and silently sank into the embrace of their fallen relatives. The snow cast a sort of uncommon tranquility on their journey, a pensive quiet that had never existed between the three wanderers before. It lasted for quite some time. It lasted until lunch.

Then it was interrupted by belligerent, snarling laughter.

"Stop that!" Lucy demanded, glaring crossly at Natsu and Happy. They were curled up on the snow-packed ground, arms folded over their bellies as waves of laughter racked their entire bodies. Lucy narrowed her eyes at them dangerously and turned to the man before her, who blinked at her inquisitively.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Yes, but it's got nothing to do with you," Lucy remarked, shifting her gaze once more toward her guffawing companions. "I'm sorry about their rudeness, Sagittarius."

Cornelia Clive's old Celestial Spirit took a bow, nearly toppling over as the weight of his horse costume threatened to upset his balance. It did seem a bit top-heavy, with its determined horse-face mounted atop the hole where the equally determined face of the man poked through. It was certainly not the centaur Lucy was expecting, but Sagittarius was her Spirit now, and she loved him all the same.

"They do not offend me, _moshi-moshi_," Sagittarius assured her. "I received the same reaction from my last owner's offspring."

"Yeah, that does make sense," Lucy said dryly, imagining a younger Cana curled up in the same state of amusement as Natsu and Happy.

"_Moshi-moshi_!" Natsu chortled. "He said _moshi-moshi_!"

"Would you two be quiet?! You're being really rude! You're lucky that Sagittarius isn't aggressive, or else he could have shot you both in the eyes! You could've been blind!"

"That is still a possibility," Sagittarius pointed out.

"See? You're pissing him off!"

"S-sorry," Natsu snickered, wiping a tear from his eye. "It just...it was so unexpected..."

"You are forgiven," said Sagittarius. He turned to Lucy. "You are my new key holder?"

"Mhm. My name is Lucy Heartphilia, and this is Natsu Dragneel and Happy. Cana gave you to me after her birthday party. She said that she thought you'd be better off with me, since I'm an experienced Celestial Spirit Mage. I summoned you to ask if you'd like to make a contract with me."

"I think I will," Sagittarius agreed. "You have an abundance of keys, by the looks of it. A few of them are even silver. I didn't think anyone with that ability lived anymore."

"Yeah, well," Lucy sighed, "I might just be the last."

"That is a shame."

"It is." Lucy took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. "There's no use dwelling on it right now, though. Let's make your contract."

The two of them hammered out the details of their contract. Sagittarius was fairly lenient, allowing Lucy to summon him most of the time, with the exception of a few days within the month. He went back to the Celestial Spirit World with a stiff salute and, to Lucy's dismay, a hardy nay. When she turned around, Natsu and Happy were blue in the face (or, in Happy's case, blu_er_), hands clamped over their mouths to stifle their encroaching laughter.

She sighed. "Go ahead."

The force of their unrestrained amusement nearly knocked her over. But they didn't say another word against Sagittarius, and once they were thoroughly giggled out, they continued on their trek. Lucy summoned Plue for some more quality time, but the poor thing shivered so violently in the cold that she quickly let him escape to what she assumed was a warm Celestial Spirit world. Then she looked down at her feet. The quiet was back.

Lucy glanced over at Natsu. This time, she couldn't convince herself that it was the snow's fault. Natsu didn't look particularly different from his usual self, except that his mouth was closed instead of open. There was no frown, but there was no smile either. He didn't look sad, or happy, or angry, or worried. He just..._looked_. That concerned Lucy more than anything. For as long as she had known Natsu, she could always count on him to let her know what he was thinking. Even if he didn't say it outright, he wore it plainly on his face. His emotions might have been out of place, but he had always _emoted_. Lucy didn't know what to think about this sudden blank Natsu.

"Lucy." Natsu touched a warm finger to her forehead, getting her attention. "You're staring at me. It's starting to creep me out."

"Oh," Lucy blushed, bringing her hand up to her forehead. Maybe it wasn't that Natsu was closed off. Maybe she just wasn't paying enough attention. "Sorry. I was just lost in thought."

"About your dad?"

"Yeah," Lucy fibbed. "I'm just...nervous, I guess."

"Just nervous?"

"Excited, too. A little scared." Lucy shrugged. "I just don't want him to be like Loke says. I'd like to think that he's changed, but...well, sometimes people don't change for the better. I'm scared he's gotten worse. I'm scared he won't want to see me."

"Igneel told me about your abduction once," Natsu said. "I can't remember how old I was, but it was just a story to me. I think it was just a story to him, too. He didn't meddle in the affairs of people very often. Anyway, he mentioned that the human king sent every Rune Knight in the country after Jose, looking for you. It was troublesome because they even came close to finding Igneel's lair, that's how thoroughly they searched." Natsu smirked darkly. "Of course, they didn't find Phantom Lord Castle because Jose probably used a spell similar to Ivan's to make it float. But my point is that he searched, and I bet a part of him is still searching. You don't ever stop searching for someone you lost."

"But what if Loke's right and he's evil? What if he's like Everlue?"

Natsu turned to look at her, and his eyes were brought to life with something like anger. "If he's like Everlue, I'm not leaving you there. Not even if I have to fight to get you back out. You're never going to be shut up in some room ever again."

Lucy's eyes stung painfully. She wiped at the with the palm of her hand. Happy touched her leg and offered her a handkerchief. She smiled and accepted it, dabbing at her burning eyes. "Okay," she said.

Natsu nodded and began walking again. This time the quiet didn't bother Lucy so much.

They walked for a while, their feet crunching under the snow. Suddenly, Lucy froze and grasped at her keyring, clutching for a certain key. "Oh, no!" she shrieked. "Plue! I left his key at the place we ate lunch!"

"What?!"

"I must have forgot to put him back on the keyring! We've got to go back and get him!" Lucy wheeled around and sprinted in the opposite direction, following their tracks in the snow. Natsu cursed and went after her. "Happy, stay here in case we can't find him. We'll know where to look."

"Aye!" the cat agreed. He watched Natsu disappear into the trees.

Happy sighed and looked around. The East Forest looked about the same all the way through; it was no wonder people got lost so often. If it weren't for the rough game trails, he doubted even Natsu would be able to find his way. There wasn't anything very interesting to look at. Just the blank white snow.

He stood there for a few more minutes, until his nose and paws grew cold. "I need to walk around to get my blood flowing again," he told himself. "Natsu will see the tracks. He'll know where to stop and he'll know where I've gone. He probably just wanted me to wait here so he could get some alone time with Lucy. That slick devil." Happy had never realized before now how cunning Natsu must have been, to pretend ignorance for so long. At least, Happy hoped he'd been pretending the entire time. It was a dubious hope.

Happy padded forward, making fresh little prints in the snow. He walked for a few minutes before he came upon a tall bluff that ended in a ragged ravine. There was a sturdy rope bridge across the chasm, covered in snow and missing a wooden plank or two. Happy wondered if he should fly across. There would be no tracks for Natsu to follow if that were the case, and then he might get worried. On the other hand, Happy wanted to lighten up the mood of the journey. Perhaps a silly prank would do the trick. He smiled and uncurled his wings.

As soon as he did, there was a tumultuous groan, and a giant mooing cow sprang from the ravine. He landed on the bridge, causing it to swing rapidly back and forth. Happy gawked when the thing gazed down at him, small eyes bright and angry. The cow had large curling horns and a metal ring through its nostrils. It carried an axe in one hand.

"Whoooo goes there?!" he roared. "Whoooo dares to cross the Bridge of Taurus!"

"I wasn't crossing your bridge," Happy said. "I was going to fly across."

Taurus leaned down and inspected Happy more closely. Then he threw back his head and laughed. "A cat with wings? How ridiculous! Thooose must be fake. You can't really fly!"

Happy scowled. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was when people doubted his ability to fly. It was the one thing he took pride in. "It's not as ridiculous as a talking heifer."

Every bulging muscle on the bovine's body froze like the ice on the ropes of his bridge. He focused his eyes on the cat. "What did yoooou call me, puooosy cat?"

"You heard me. Heifer."

Taurus gave a mighty snarl and brought his axe down, but Happy was already high in the air, soaring into the sky. "I am not a heifer!" he called. "I am a buooooll!"

"And I can fly!"

"Not for long, puooosy cat!" Taurus bent his knees and launched himself from the bridge, raising his axe in the air. The rickety wooden structure could not support the strain, though, and crumbled under his feet. Taurus made it three feet above the bluff before plummeting back down into the ravine. Happy laughed and circled to the ground, on the other side.

"That'll show him," he sniffed.

"Happy!" Lucy scrambled into the clearing, breathing hard. "What the hell was that noise?!"

"Oh, it was - " Happy was interrupted by another rumbling moo. Taurus erupted from the depths of the chasm, nose huffing steam with the force of his outrage. He landed on Lucy's side of the ravine. She shrieked in surprise and stumbled back, steadying herself on a tree. The bull turned his eyes to her and they grew big and round.

"Woooould you look at that body?!" he whistled, tongue hanging from his mouth. He took one massive step toward her, grinning from ear to ear. "I'll deal with yoooou later, cat. I'm a lover at heart, not a fighter."

Lucy screamed again as Taurus came running at her, and leapt out of his path. She landed hard in the snow and fumbled for her keys as Taurus rammed into the tree, but her fingers were too stiff in her mittens. Snow from the branches above crashed down an her, stinging in her eyes.

"I've got you!" Happy zoomed over and whisked Lucy off the ground, flying her across the ravine while Taurus struggled to pull his horns from the bark of the tree. Lucy groaned and rubbed her face. She heard Taurus's angered moo when he split the tree in two with is axe, freeing himself.

"Do yooou think that little jump will stop me, puooossy cat?!" he shouted. "I am Taurus the Bull, and I - "

Flame blossomed behind Taurus, engulfing him for several seconds. He fell to the ground in a great black crisp, defeated and smelling slightly of steak. Natsu stepped from behind him, raising an eyebrow. He lifted a silver key into the air, flashing in the sunlight. "Found him," he said. He tossed Plue to Lucy, who nearly had a heart attack as the key cartwheeled over the steep ravine. It landed in the snow just a few feet from her.

"Don't just _throw_ him!" Lucy protested, hugging the key to her chest.

"Well, at least I didn't lose him."

"I didn't lose him, I knew exactly where he was! I had just...misplaced him, that's all."

"If you knew exactly where he was, why was I the one to find him?"

"Because Happy distracted me!"

"Hey, don't bring me into this!"

"Speaking of," Natsu said, kicking the charred cow. "Where did this come from, anyway?"

"He hopped out of the ravine," Happy explained. "Said his name was Taurus the Bull, and that the bridge belonged to him."

"What bridge?" Natsu frowned.

"Wait, Taurus is a Celestial Spirit name!" Lucy gasped. "What are the odds that a talking bull is roaming the East Forest with the name Taurus? His owner must be close by."

"Right you are." A person emerged from the ravine, slowly levitating to the bluff to stand before Lucy and Happy. He was a peculiar man, really more goat than man. He, like Taurus, had curling horns and hair all over his body, as well as hooves instead of feet, but unlike the Bull he was impeccably dressed in a suit and darker sunglasses than even Loke's. He looked down and smiled tightly at Lucy and Happy. "Hello, Lucy. My name is Capricorn."

"Capricorn," Lucy repeated. "You're a Celestial Spirit, too."

"That's right. But unlike Taurus, I have a special gift." Capricorn dug around in his pocket and pulled out a golden Zodiac key. He pointed it at Taurus and the Spirit disappeared.

"You...can control other Spirits?" Lucy breathed, amazed.

"Yes, that is one of my abilities," Capricorn admitted. "Taurus is the only Spirit in my possession for the moment. I am also able to stay in the human world for an extended amount of time. However, it isn't an unlimited amount of time, and I am beginning to feel my stay taking its toll. I've been living under Taurus's bridge for nearly seventeen years."

Lucy gawked. "Seventeen years?! That's incredible!"

"Thank you," Capricorn said. "You know, I belonged to your mother before then. Layla Heartphilia."

"You knew my mother?" Lucy's eyes lit up.

"Yes. She was a wonderful owner, one of the best I'd ever had. Once she became pregnant with you and your brother, however, she grew fatigued and decided to give me away to another. Unfortunately I grew dissatisfied with the quality of my owner's care and sustained myself after confiscating Taurus's key. But now that you've come along..." Capricorn appraised her behind his glasses. "You're the spitting image of your mother. I imagine that you have a similar temperament."

"My keys all say they're happy with me," Lucy said. "I will gladly be your holder if you'd like. It would be an honor."

"I appreciate the sentiment," said Capricorn, "but I'd like to get to know you better before surrendering my key to you, if you don't mind. If you'll allow me to escort you to wherever you're going, I will gladly take that opportunity to do so."

"I don't mind at all," Lucy agreed, letting Capricorn help her off the ground. "I totally understand. We're actually going to Acalypha to see my father. Do you know anything about him?"

"I'm afraid not. Layla never summoned me when her husband was around. She preferred to keep her heritage a secret. People were often fearful of true Celestial Mages since they had the ability to turn people into keys. As Mr. Heartphilia was King of Fiore at the time, it wasn't wise for her to give out the information. The only ones who knew were those who did research on the ancient Hart clan, and those were a select few who had dedicated their lives to the genealogy."

"Like Jose," Lucy murmured.

Capricorn nodded. "Like Sir Jose Porla, yes."

"Hey!" Natsu shouted from across the ravine, ticked at being excluded. "What's going on over there?"

"Capricorn is going to take us to Acalypha!" Lucy called back. "Grab Taurus and let's go!"

Grumbling, Natsu scooped the golden key from the snow and placed it in his pocket next to Cana's dragon tarot card. Happy flew him across the ravine, and together the four of them continued on the path to Acalypha Town, leaving the broken bridge behind them.


	100. Hello And Goodbye

**Author's Note:** _Happy New Year! Any resolutions? No, me neither. I'm too lazy to even come up with a list. On the bright side...chapter 100, guys! I can't believe I've made it this far. And it's all because you. Yes, you! You, reading this author's note! And those of you who don't read the author's notes, but of course you can't know that I'm thanking you because you don't read them. But as long as you read the chapters, it's all good. Just know, somehow, deep down inside, I thank you. Know it._

_This is the final arc! The moment you've been waiting for! I think only one person guessed the mini-tale in the last chapter: Three Billy Goats Gruff. It was pretty vague, though. I know it was pretty rushed too but...eh. We all have our off days. I might go back and change it. Probably not. Maybe. I don't know. Maybe I'll make that a resolution._

_...No, I won't. _

* * *

><p><strong>C: Hello And Goodbye<strong>

The sun was sinking when they reached the edge of Acalypha Town. It transformed the dull gray cloudy ceiling into a breathtaking blend of orange, pink, and lavender washes. The city looked sinister and black against the sky's glow. Lucy stopped and stared, heart beating wildly in her chest. Her hands were trembling, so she crossed her arms to keep the others from noticing.

It didn't help. Natsu noticed. "Are you cold?" he asked.

"No," Lucy said, shrugging in thick cloak. Use had worn holes in the black fabric during her journey, so she'd used bits of her red dress to patch it up. She wasn't likely to wear it again anyway.

"It's getting late," the Dragonslayer noted, looking solemnly at the twilight sunset. "Maybe we should find an inn and rest there until tomorrow morning. Then you can face your dad."

"That is a good idea," Lucy agreed, breathing a short sigh of relief.

"I disagree," said Capricorn brusquely. "Queen Layla is still mourned greatly in this town. There is a greater chance here than in anywhere else that you'll be recognized, and there's no telling by whom. Your father is a powerful man. If the wrong person catches you unawares, it could quickly become a hostage situation."

"That won't happen," Natsu growled irritably. He seemed to dislike Capricorn from the beginning, but Lucy suspected it mostly had to do with the fact that the Spirit was so pessimistic and discouraging. There was no harm in considering the worst-case scenario, though, if it kept them safe. Perhaps Natsu's recklessness had more to do with this unfaltering faith in the best outcome than people realized.

But in this case, Lucy was inclined to agree with him. "I don't think anyone will kidnap me. And even if they did somehow escape Natsu's notice, it's not like I can't defend myself. Besides, if my mother is as cherished as you say, I don't think I'll have anything to worry about."

"Isn't cruel to keep your father waiting, my lady?" Capricorn persisted.

"He's waited seventeen years," Natsu pointed out. "He can wait one more night."

Lucy frowned. "No, Capricorn's right," she decided. "Let's keep going."

"But - "

"What if it was Igneel?" Lucy interrupted. "What if you found out where he was? You wouldn't let anything stop you from going to him. There's no telling what can happen in a night. I want to see my father. I want to keep going."

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the Spirit, but resigned.

"If I may," Capricorn began, "before you go...I have come to my decision regarding the ownership of my key. I have deemed you a suitable holder. I think that you will treat me fairly and kindly."

"I'm honored," said Lucy.

"We'll make a contract once you're settled," Capricorn promised. "Until then, I wish you luck." He bent his head and emitted a sickly yellow light. A cold wind swept up from the ground, and he disappeared in a shower of bright sparks. A gleaming golden key fell to the ground in his place, making a dent in the snow. Lucy scooped it up, wiping the flakes from its surface.

"I don't like that one," Natsu said.

"It doesn't matter," Lucy remarked, sliding Capricorn's key onto her key ring. "He's mine now. Let's go."

"Are you sure about this, Luce?" Natsu asked.

"No," she replied, "but it's something we can't put off any longer. It's been so long since you found me...we forgot what we really came together for: you to take me home. In the excitement of our journey, we forgot all about the destination."

"I didn't forget," Natsu said, but Lucy was too far away for her to hear. He sighed, shared a glance with Happy, and followed.

Acalypha was muffled by the snow and the twilight. Mothers were ushering children back into their houses, shops were closing their chiming doors, and pedestrians shuffled heedlessly into pubs, alleys, or residencies. Acalypha was closing up for the night. The town was small and worn, not dilapidated like Shirotsume, but clearly hardworking and just getting by. The snow on the streets was sooty, the buildings modest, the people fatigued. It wasn't a sad place, but it wasn't cheerful either.

Love and Lucky wasn't much of a castle. It was clean-cut and solid, made up of simple geometric shapes. There could have been a certain elegant grace to it, if it was warmer, but as it was Love and Lucky was very cold. The structure loomed over the rest of the town, a constant oppressing presence, like at any moment it would convict you for your sins. The trio had no trouble finding it.

"The sign is broken," Lucy said, stopping in front of it. The sign was the only ornate thing about the castle, with its festive swirling curlicues. The 'k' in 'Lucky' was missing, so it read "Love and Luc y." Under that someone had painted: "Headquarters of the Heartphilia Konzern."

"Maybe someone vandalized it," Natsu suggested.

"Maybe." Lucy took a deep breath and stepped under it, through the open iron gates. The walk was short, but it felt like a mile. By the time they reached the square oak doors, Lucy felt sick.

Natsu put a hand on her shoulder. "Deep breaths. It'll be okay."

She nodded and grasped the silver knocker in her hand. Slowly, she brought it own three times.

It was several moments before anyone answered the door. The man who did was tall and broad, with a face as square, cold, and solid as the castle. Not a blonde hair on his head was out of place, and his thick mustache was impeccably groomed. He wore a sharp black suit with a scarlet tie. He looked down his long, sharp nose at them through heavy-lidded eyes that widened when they met Lucy's big brown ones.

Jude Heartphilia cried out and leapt back, clutching his chest. His legs trembled and he panted for several seconds as he stared at them. Lucy was frozen in place, unable to move, unable to even blink. It wasn't the reaction she was expecting.

"L...Layla..." he rasped, falling to his knees. "Layla...it can't be...Layla, you've come for me..."

Lucy felt a prick of disappointment. Her father did not recognize her. But why would he? He had never seen her before. She stepped forward into the castle, uncertain. "No," she said. "It's not Layla. It's Lucy. I'm your daughter. Lucy."

"Lu...cy?" Her father frowned. "Impossible. Jose Porla killed Lucy. It can't be. Lucy's dead."

"Jose didn't kill me," said Lucy, nervously fidgeting with her hair. "He took me and kept me in a tower for seventeen years. Natsu and Happy" - she gestured to the two of them behind her - "they found me and rescued me and brought me to you. I'm Lucy Heartphilia. I'm your daughter."

Jude blinked several times, taking her in. "It...it can't be a trick. There's been so many...but even those fakes eventually gave up. But you...you're too much like Layla to be anyone else...you're the spitting image...it can't be a trick..." A tear fell from his stone cheek and dripped onto the floor. He opened his arms. "Lucy. My lucky Lucy."

Lucy's heart caught in her throat and before she knew it she was running, falling to her knees, wrapping her arms around her father's neck, sobbing into pristine black suit. He was just as cold and sharp as one might expect, like hugging a granite statue, but she didn't care. He wrapped his solid arms around her and she felt secure.

Natsu watched from the door. He knew that he should have felt happy, elated even, that Lucy and her father were finally reunited, and that he didn't seem as cruel as Loke suggested. He watched the man break down and bury his tears into Lucy's soft blonde hair, hugging her tightly as though to make up for all the lost embraces, as though she might evaporate in the next gust of wind. Natsu felt like the slightest breeze might knock him over. He felt empty from head to toe.

There was no doubt about it. Lucy was staying.

He supposed that a little part of him must have believed otherwise. He must have secretly hoped that Jude Heartphilia was as bad as Loke said, that he was worse, that he was as bad as Duke Everlue so that he would have an excuse to keep Lucy. He didn't want to give her back. But he had to. That's what you do when you love someone. You put their happiness before your own. And Natsu had never seen Lucy look so happy.

She released her father and turned face him, tears of joy still glittering on her bright cheeks. "Dad," she said, and Natsu could see the mirth that word brought to Jude Heartphilia's deep black eyes, "this is Natsu Dragneel and Happy. They're the ones who brought me here."

Jude stood, helping his daughter off the ground. He walked over to them and shook Natsu's hand and Happy's paw. His grip was cold and firm and dry, the handshake of much power and practice. "Men, I cannot thank you enough," he said, gazing down at Lucy with thin-lipped smile under his mustache. "You have returned the world to me. If there's anything I can do for you, any service, any sum - "

"I don't want money," Natsu interrupted, holding up a hand. "All I want to know is if you've seen or heard of a big red dragon by the name of Igneel, or a black dragon by the name of Metalicana, or a blue dragon by the name of Grandine."

The man blinked and tossed his daughter a glance full of questions, but shook his head without remark. "I'm sorry, I haven't. If I ever do, though, I will do my best to contact you immediately." He gestured toward his home. "Please, won't you stay for the night. It isn't much, but surely you'll need a good night's rest. You three can tell me about your journey."

Natsu agreed, and Jude went about setting up their rooms. "I don't have much help around here anymore," he explained as he led them down dusty gray corridors. "Things have been bad for business lately, so I've had to cut back a lot." He gave Natsu a spacious, airy room filled with dust moats. "I apologize for the mess. Like I said, short of staff lately." Together they wrestled a window open, letting in crisp winter cold. They beat out the bedclothes and did the same for the room next door, where Lucy would stay until Jude renovated one to her liking.

They ate dinner on a grand round table made to seat fifty. "I had this table back when I was royalty," Jude said wistfully. "I used to invite the dukes of every major town in Fiore to eat with Layla and me. Now I hold business suppers here, but there's never enough people to fill the seats. There never was, after Layla died. Her chair was always hauntingly empty. After that, I grew foolish. Fiore was wise to impeach me, and your brother was justified in leaving. The Justines are fairer and kinder than I ever was, although I maintain that Loke would have made a fine king."

"Fried is great," Lucy agreed. "And Mirajane is a fantastic queen."

Jude raised his eyebrows. "You know them?"

"Yes. Magnolia was one of our first stops, and we happened to be there on the night of Fried's coronation."

"You know he's your distant cousin. Very distant, but we're still related."

"Interesting," said Lucy politely.

From behind them, Natsu's stomach growled obnoxiously.

Lucy scowled at him, but Jude gave a booming laugh and clapped his hands. "It looks like I'm starving my guests with all this chit-chat," he said. "You have my apologies, Mr. Dragneel. I'm so used to windbags in suits going on and on about this and that, I forget that it's common courtesy to serve the food first. If you'll excuse me, I'll go get it ready."

As he left, Lucy let out a breath. "So, what do you think?"

"He seems alright," Natsu said, shrugging. "He's no Gildarts, but he's not as bad as Loke made him out to be. I think he'll take some getting used to, but...I think you'll be happy here. And I think you'll do this place good."

Lucy smiled sadly. "Yeah. I think so, too." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "You don't have to leave tomorrow, you know. You can stay for as long as you want."

"I don't think your dad would like that very much. He seems like he's a good guy, but you probably want to get a chance to know each other better without me. Besides, I need to return my focus on finding the dragons," Natsu replied. His chest gave a painful squeeze when her hand slipped away.

Jude served them a dinner of roast chicken and vegetables and bread. "It's not much, but it's all I've got," he said. "Dig in."

As they ate, Lucy told her father about her life for the past seventeen years. Most of the talking she did concerned the past six months that she'd spent with Natsu and Happy. She told the story with great skill, and Natsu watched Jude's face grow horrified, delighted, sorrowful, and much more. The only thing Lucy left out was Loke, carefully editing her story to omit his presence entirely. Natsu thought she did a good job. She must have practiced what she would say beforehand. It was a very Lucy thing to do. Her voice echoed off the big empty space so that it seemed to come from all around, like there were fifty Lucys at the table instead of just one. It didn't seem to bother anyone else, so Natsu didn't mention it.

They talked for several hours, even after all the food was gone. When yawns began interrupting Lucy's story just when she was arriving to the battle with Raven Tail on the beanstalk, Jude began cleaning up the plates. "It's very late," he said, looking up at the grandfather clock. "You've probably been traveling all day. Perhaps we should get some rest and continue this conversation tomorrow."

_Tomorrow_, Natsu thought achingly. _Tomorrow I won't be here to listen_.

Jude had kept some of Layla's old clothes. He let Lucy borrow a faded white nightgown to sleep in, and offered Natsu something of his, but the Dragonslayer declined. He ducked into his room and closed the door while Lucy and her father talked outside in the corridor. He listened silently until they parted ways. Then he closed his eyes, but he didn't sleep. It was more for Happy's sake. He could tell that the cat was worried about him. When he heard the his light, familiar snores, Natsu opened his eyes and watched the snow fall from his window until the sun came up over the horizon.

"Natsu?" Happy yawned, blinking in the new morning light. "You're up already?"

"Yeah," Natsu said. "Just got up. It's snowing outside."

"It's been snowing this entire time."

"I know," said Natsu, wrinkling his nose. "I don't like snow. Igneel doesn't like it either. It's too cold and wet."

"And quiet," Happy said.

"Yeah. Quiet, too."

When they went down for breakfast, Lucy and her father were already chatting over eggs and bacon. Lucy was finishing the story. "...and he led us to Acalypha. That's basically it."

"That's quite an extraordinary tale," Jude Heartphilia said, raising his eyebrows in amazement. Lucy was still dressed in her mother's nightgown, but the duke had already changed into a sharp gray suit and blue tie. Natsu thought he knew where Loke got his fashion sense.

They both turned their eyes to Natsu and Happy when they walked into the room. Lucy smiled, but it faltered when she saw that Natsu was already dressed and packed. "You're leaving already?" she said.

"Yeah," Natsu said, adjusting the strap of the pack. "I want to stop by Balsam Town, and that's a day's walk away from here. I should get started early if I want to make it before it gets dark."

"At least eat breakfast," Jude insisted. "Lucy told me about your appetites, so I fried up all the bacon I had. We won't be able to finish this by ourselves. Stay another night. Rest. Recuperate. You could even do a show, if you'd like. The people here could use some cheering up, in these hard times."

It felt like a physical blow when he said her name. Like he already knew her, like they already belonged to each other. Like they were already a family. Natsu had told himself that he wouldn't get anyone down, not even Happy, but his voice still broke a little when he looked at Lucy and said, "I can't."

She seemed to understand at least. She stood up. "Alright. I'll walk you out."

The trio walked toward the parlor of the castle in silence. Lucy's bare feet padded softly on the cold floors. They stopped when they reached the doors, turning to face one another. "Did you pack enough food last night?" she asked.

"Yeah, everything I can carry," Natsu replied.

"Make sure you do a show soon. You're running low on money."

"I know. I'll do one when I get to Balsam Town."

Lucy nodded and looked down at her feet. She sniffed, and then she abruptly threw her arms around Natsu's neck, squeezing tightly. Natsu closed his eyes and returned the embrace, burying his nose in her sweet yellow hair. Even in the dead of winter, she smelled like honey and sunlight.

"Be safe," she mumbled.

"I will," he said.

"And visit. Every time you're nearby, come and visit."

"I promise."

"Let me know when you find Igneel."

"Definitely."

Lucy released him and wiped her eyes. "Thank you for saving me from my tower, Natsu. Without you, I don't know where I'd be right now. I...I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Natsu said. His hands felt limp and heavy at his sides. "Let me know if there's ever any trouble."

"I think he'll take good care of me," Lucy said.

"You don't need anyone to take care of you," said Natsu.

Happy waddled over and put his paw on Lucy's leg. "You be safe, too," he said.

"I will," Lucy swore, bending down to rub his head. "Stupid cat."

She straightened up and gave Natsu one last embrace. He opened the door and let in the swirling snowflakes. They melted on his face and arms, but for once he was thankful for their quiet. He glanced back one last time at Lucy, shivering in the white drape of her nightgown, with her blonde hair all disheveled and her brown eyes glistening with tears, and closed the door behind him.

The air around Lucy grew still when the door shut. She blinked the cold and the tears from her eyes. She contemplated running after Natsu. He couldn't have gotten far already. Every fiber of her being yearned to do it, but she refrained. It wasn't fair of her to ask him to stay here in this boring place. It wasn't fair to ask him to watch as she reunited with her father while he still searched high and low for his own.

That didn't stop the aching she felt inside her chest.

When she turned around, her father was standing in the center of the parlor, watching. He gave her a piteous look and opened his arms. Lucy dissolved into tears and ran toward him again, wrapping her arms around his sturdy tree-trunk middle. "You poor child," he said, gently taking her face in his hands. "It's a painful thing to say goodbye to your first love, isn't it?" He tilted her chin up and swept her hair to the side tenderly. "You look so much like your mother."

And then, with a quick, deft movement, he slammed his fist into her temple, turning the blurry world black.


	101. A Wolf In Disguise

**Author's Note:** _Bwahahaha! I feed upon your outrage._

* * *

><p><strong>CI: A Wolf In Disguise<strong>

When the door closed, Natsu stopped. He didn't look back. He knew that if he saw her standing there, watching as his feet took him farther and farther from her, he'd never be able to leave.

Happy walked behind him silently. The cat was just as gloomy as Natsu, so he didn't bother trying to cheer the Dragonslayer up. That would happen in its own time. For now, he would just let him walk away.

They walked until Natsu looked up and realized they were standing in a small park. The grass was dead and the trees were bare, but it still managed to look pretty all covered and glittering in ice. It would have been nicer if there were children playing there, but the metal equipment was too cold and slick to be any fun, and all the snow had already been scooped off the ground. A legion of misshapen snowmen, each smaller than the last, grinned at the two of them as they stopped to take in the view.

At the far end of the park there was a faded green bench. A man sat on the bench, shivering in the winter morning. He was dressed in a ratty gray cloak riddled with holes, and his gloves were so thin and threadbare that they were just as little use. Across the street a vendor surrounded by kids was selling hot chocolate at two jewels a cup.

Five minutes later, Natsu sat down on the green bench next to the man and silently handed him a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a glazed donut. The man looked up and blinked his dark, beady eyes. Natsu couldn't see much but a snarled yellow beard and a ruddy sharp nose from under the shadow of the hood, but he didn't need to see the man's face to know that he was starving.

He saw the thin mouth grow stubborn. "I don't want your pity, boy."

"It's not pity," said Natsu. "It's breakfast. Take it."

The mouth turned down even more, but the man's shaking hands carefully accepted the food. He blew on the cup and nibbled on the donut with great restraint. His bites became bigger and bigger, until he was stuffing the last of the pastry in his mouth. Natsu watched over the rim of his hot chocolate. Happy sat beside him, curled around his own cup.

"Thank you," the man finally growled, wiping his hands on his pants. The words were clipped and proud and educated, not the rambling of a man wasted away with drugs or drink. They were the words of a fallen man, not a broken one.

Natsu shrugged. "I know what it's like to be cold and hungry."

"Who are you?" the man asked, peering at him from under his hood. "I've never seen you here before, and we don't get much coming and going. Not like we used to."

"Natsu Dragneel, Fire Dragonslayer. This is my friend, Happy."

"Aye."

"A Dragonslayer and an Exceed," the man huffed. "That's not something you see every day."

"Have you seen a dragon?" Natsu inquired. The question was hollow. He already knew the answer. "A red one by the name of Igneel?"

"I've only met one dragon in my lifetime," the man sighed. "He was green, and it was a long time ago. Probably before you were even born. Certainly before my children were born, and they're about the same age as you I'd guess."

"You've met a dragon?" Natsu asked, more curious. "Who was he? What was he like?"

"Mean," the man said. "Afraid. I don't know his name. The people of this town were encroaching on his territory. He didn't know what else to do but burn what they'd built. He was outraged when I proposed a compromise. He said the land belonged to him, and he was right, but it wasn't something my people wanted to hear."

"What happened to him?"

"He left a few weeks later. Don't know where to. Just went up and flew away. I remember he had jewels stuck to his belly, emeralds and gold and silver. It rained down on us. Some considered it lucky. The ones who were hit didn't."

"You pushed him out of his own home," Natsu accused. "He was peaceful. You could have just let him be."

"The people were scared of him, and he was sitting on land we needed. He wouldn't compromise."

"He shouldn't have had to! He was here first!"

"The world doesn't work that way, kid," the man growled. "It doesn't matter who's right and who's wrong. We were wrong. I know that. But we had more money, more weapons, and more manpower. It would have been bloody, but eventually our fear and our greed would have killed that dragon. He was smart to leave when he did."

"Igneel disappeared on the seventh of July, seven years ago."

The man bowed his head. "This was before that. I'm sorry. I think everyone lost something on that day."

"What did you lose?" Happy whispered solemnly.

"My wife," the man said miserably, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "My beautiful, good wife. She was smart to leave when she did, too. I didn't deserve her love."

Natsu turned away. His cup was empty. He crunched it in his hand, wondering if he was smart to leave the thing he loved, like the green dragon and the poor man's wife. Probably not, but it was noble. It was noble, wasn't it? The dragon and the wife had both left for themselves; had Natsu done the same? Was he thinking of Lucy's happiness, or his own pain?

"So," the man continued, smashing his own empty cup, "if you're here to find a dragon, you're in the wrong place. If you're here to find a job, you're in the wrong place. If you're here to find anything, you're in the wrong place. Things get lost in this town, not found."

"So why are you here?" Natsu retorted.

"Can't you tell?" the man smirked. "I'm obviously lost."

"But wait," Happy piped up. "That's not entirely true. Our friend found her dad here."

"Yeah," said Natsu, nodding. "That's right. The Lost Princess is back. We brought her here to her dad. So she found her family. There, you old geezer! She had a happy ending. Not everything in this town is doom and gloom. She'll make it brighter, you'll see."

"The Lost Princess?!" the man shot from his seat, dropping the ruined cup. "Lucy? Lucy Heartphilia? You've found her?!"

"Yeah, and we brought her here all the way from the tower that Jose Porla had her locked up in. She's probably finishing breakfast with her father as we speak."

"That's impossible!" the man shouted. "You fool! Where did you take her?!"

"Hey, watch it, old man," Natsu growled. "What are you talking about? I took her to Love and Lucky, where the old king lives."

The man stumbled back and shook his head. "No. No no no no. The king doesn't live there anymore. Love and Lucky was taken away years ago. The Heartphilia Konzern wasn't making enough money, not since Duke Everlue monopolized Shirotsume. I lost everything because of that man."

Natsu felt cold dread settle in his stomach, colder than the bitter winter air, freezing up the hot chocolate and the fire in his belly. "What are you saying, old man? Who are you, exactly?"

The man drew back his hood, unleashing unruly blonde hair as ragged as his beard. His face was red and windblown, half concealed by the unshaven mess of his hair, but the long sharp nose and hard dark eyes were all too familiar. "I am Jude Heartphilia," he confessed, raking back his hair. "I am the ex-King of Fiore, ex-owner of the Heartphilia Konzern, and father to the Lost Princess."

"No!" Natsu roared, standing up. "You're a liar! That guy was her father, I know it! He loved her and he looked just like the old king! I wouldn't leave Lucy with just anyone!"

"They took everything from me! Everything, except for this!" The old man pulled out a photograph, faded and torn with age. It was a picture of Jude Heartphilia, except without the mustache and dressed in king's finery instead of business attire. Standing beside him was a woman with long blonde hair and smiling, tired brown eyes. In her hands she cradled a belly swollen with motherhood.

"That's my wife, Layla," the man said, pointing to her. His voice cracked. "She wanted this picture. It was the closest thing to a family photograph that we ever got. All because of my stupid mistake. I should have never made that deal with Jose. It cost me my daughter's childhood, my wife's trust, and my son's happiness. Eventually, that stupid mistake cost me everything except for this photograph."

Natsu took the photograph with trembling hands. The woman could have been an older Lucy. There was no doubt that she was Queen Layla Heartphilia. He looked up at the poor old man, at his long sharp nose and hard dark eyes. They matched those in the photograph.

"If you still don't believe me, ask anyone in this town," the man said. "They'll all tell you the same thing: that the Heartphilia Konzern is nothing but a memory. That Love and Lucky is just an empty castle that belongs to no one and has no purpose. It's rotting away. No one lives there anymore."

"It can't be right," Natsu whispered. "If you're Jude Heartphilia, _then who the hell did I give Lucy to?!_"

"I don't know," said Jude Heartphilia, "but we're going to find out."

* * *

><p>Lucy's head was ringing when she opened her eyes.<p>

She quickly closed them again. Light was streaming in from the window, and it hurt to look at. The right side of her face was throbbing angrily, hot and swollen. Her chest clenched when she realized that her wrists were bound by something cold and metallic. She felt a scream rising up her throat, but she clamped her mouth shut and swallowed it down, taking several minutes to relax. It didn't work, but the initial overwhelming panic subsided. Keeping her eyes closed, she tried to gather as much information as possible with her other senses.

She was laying on a bed, perhaps the same bed she'd slept in the night before, still dressed in her mother's old nightgown. The window was in front of her judging by the sunlight on her face, so the door must have been to her back. Her wrists were locked together with metal links. There was no chain. Thankfully, her feet were free. She could still kick. Her mouth was also free, so biting was an option, too.

Magic wasn't. Her keys were gone.

She'd taken to keeping them always on the leather garter on her thigh, but that, too, was gone. Someone had removed it and taken the keys with them. He probably wouldn't have had to look hard. They were easy to spot under the thin, loose fabric of the dress. Lucy just didn't think she'd had to hide them. Not from her own father.

When Lucy opened her eyes a second time, she kept them open.

He was sitting on a chair in front of her, staring coldly. There were no more tears in those black eyes. There was no more joy. Just darkness. Lucy tried not to feel afraid, but it didn't work. She was absolutely terrified. Under the scrutiny of those giant eyes she'd hoped would love her, she felt small and meek and scared. But she would be damned before she let him see it.

"What did you do to me?" she asked.

"After you fainted, I carried you to bed," Jude said, giving her a tiny smile. "You were so devastated that your friend abandoned you here. And so quickly, too. I was expecting him to mope around for weeks, but he barely stayed a day. It's rather pathetic if you ask me."

"You shut up!" Lucy snapped, sitting up on her elbows. "You don't know a thing about Natsu. The only reason he left was because he thought I was safe. He thought you loved me, your long-lost daughter, and I thought so, too. Apparently, we were mistaken."

"Oh, poor Lucy," Jude sighed. "I never loved you. I didn't even want you. The only reason you were born was so that I could have a son to take the throne. Jose made it a condition because of your mother's magic. I sold you to him. You were nothing to me."

Lucy bit back her hurt. Her father sold her to Jose? Before she was even born? "Well, _that_ turned out according to plan, didn't it?" she shot back. "This is a great kingdom you have here, Dad. A great, dusty kingdom."

"Loke was foolish to leave," Jude murmured. "But I don't need him anymore. Finally, one of my children will be of some use to me. I wouldn't count myself out of the running for royalty just yet."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy scoffed. "Fried is the king now."

"Yes. A great king, I've heard. But young and foolish, to trust the cousin who has a greater claim than he." Jude dug around in his pocket and pulled out Lucy's keys. "Thank you for bringing me these goodies, Lucy. But I think one more would really round them out, don't you think? A nice silver one."

Lucy leapt from the bed, swinging the metal cuffs on her wrist toward Jude's face. She managed to graze his chin before he grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. She landed squarely on her back, the breath knocked out of her. As she gasped, Jude stood up. A bit of scarlet blood dripped from his chin onto the collar of his white shirt. Cursing, he grabbed Lucy's red and black cloak and dabbed at it with the hood.

"Give me back my keys!" Lucy screeched, trying to stand. Jude sneered and grabbed a fist full of her hair, bringing her face close to his. He jangled the keys above her like a taunt, just out of her reach.

"So you've done the stupid thing, have you?" Jude growled. "You've come to care about the little Spirits? Let me give you a bit of advice. The Spirits love you about as much as I do. They'll earn your trust and then, just when you think you've formed a bond with them, they'll trick you. They'll manipulate you. And, eventually, they'll kill you. All a Spirit wants is freedom. You think you're doing them good by being a decent owner? Give me a break. All they care about is escaping their key and having their own wills. No one wants to be imprisoned, no matter how _good_ their master is to them."

He threw her back onto the bed, where she collapsed against the mattress. "I'm sure Everlue thought he was being _good_ to you. I'm sure he thought he was being _good_ to Virgo. But you both turned on him, didn't you? Jose probably thought the same thing. And that woodland resort guy, Bill or whatever. No matter what way you look at it, prison is prison, and _your prisoners will revolt_."

Lucy pressed herself into the corner of the mattress and covered her ears. She didn't want to hear it. Her Spirits did love her. Loke and Plue and Hologorium all saved her life despite the fact that it injured them. She rescued Gemini and Aries and Scorpio from Angel, and Virgo from Everlue. Maybe Aquarius and Piscies and Sagittarius didn't have a reason to love her, but she thought that they might have at least liked her. No, her Spirits did love her.

Didn't they?

It didn't matter. She loved them. That was the important thing. She would do anything to keep them safe.

"What do you want?" she snarled, glaring at the floor.

"Tell me, Lucy," Jude began, "have you ever turned a human into a Celestial Spirit before?"

"No," Lucy grumbled. There was once, on the beanstalk, when in a moment of panic she'd felt the power rising up in her and almost turned Natsu into a Spirit, but she'd pushed him away and gained Crux instead. She was loathe to share that information with Jude.

"Any living thing?"

"...One. My dog, Plue. I turned him into one by accident."

"Well, if you did it by accident, it can't be that hard, can it?" Jude said. He looked at the key ring. "I see...four silver Spirits here. Did you make any of them on purpose?"

"No. They were all accidents."

"It has obviously happened fairly frequently, though. Perhaps you can learn to cultivate your power. We'll begin training as soon as possible. It will be fun. We'll have to get you another ring just for your silver keys."

"What makes you think I'm going to train with you?" Lucy retorted.

Jude gave her a thin smile. "Because if you don't, I'll summon your Spirits and torment them. One. By. One. And as long as you have those magic-cancelling cuffs on, the contracts you've made with them are void. They'll _have_ to listen to me. Of course, your silver keys will be spared, but there are ten Zodiacs here, are there not? I think that's enough to get my point across." He pursed his lips and pulled one out. "I think I'll start with her. Aries. Do you know Aries very well, Lucy?"

"Leave her alone!" Lucy screamed. "Get your filthy hands off of her!"

"That is not polite," Jude chastised. He raised the key.

"Stop! Please, stop! I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'll do whatever you want. Just put her down, alright? Please."

"That's more like it." Jude placed the key back in the key ring. "We'll start training soon. I suggest you begin harvesting that power of yours. I'm not a patient man. If you don't turn something into a silver Spirit by tomorrow evening, I'll summon Aries."

"It doesn't work like that," Lucy sobbed. "I can't just call it on demand. I need more time, at least."

"You haven't been motivated enough, that's all," Jude said.

"Why do you want me to do that anyway? What's your end-game?"

"I thought I'd already told you," Jude sneered. "It's not too late for me to sit on the throne again."

Lucy frowned. Then her eyes widened as she put the pieces together. "You want me to change Fried into a Celestial Spirit," she whispered.

"Once the king is gone, I will present you as the next heir," Jude said. "You have more of a claim than Gran Doma of Era. And, if need be, I can always marry you two. King Fried has no heir. His wife is nothing but a peasant girl. There will be no one else to claim the throne."

_That's not true_, Lucy thought. _Mirajane is pregnant. Once she's had her baby, I won't have a claim at all. It's not like I can change both of them without raising suspicion_. She didn't voice her thoughts. She wouldn't change anyone, not a single soul. All she needed was an opportunity to get her keys. Then she would be free.

_Just you wait, Father. Just wait_.

Aloud, she said: "I'll practice. I promise. Just don't hurt them."

"Good girl," Jude said. He patted her hair before he left. Lucy watched him go, wishing she could burn holes in his head. She looked down at her bound hands, wishing she had the strength to break her restrains. She promised herself she wouldn't be restrained for long. She wouldn't be prisoner for long.

If it was the last thing she did, Lucy was going to escape.


	102. Come A-Knockin'

**Author's Note:** _Hey everybody! Some of you guessed it! This final arc is, indeed, loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood. Now, the real question you've been asking: who is this mysterious wolf?!_

* * *

><p><strong>CII: Come A-Knockin'<strong>

By the time Lucy heard her father's footsteps coming down the corridor, she had a plan. It wasn't a good plan, it was a desperate plan, but it was a plan nonetheless.

She was sitting in the same spot as before when Jude Heartphilia unlocked and opened the door. He was carrying a tray in one hand a key ring in the other; not her key ring, not her Spirits, but ordinary, lifeless keys for unlocking doors to the castle. He frowned when he saw her and stuffed the keys in his pocket, moving the tray so it rested in both hands like an offering. In a way, it was an offering. A sandwich sat on the platter, as well as an apple and a glass of water. It was lunch, a lunch designed for nutrition and function, a lunch designed to give her enough energy to work. It wasn't a treat. It was a necessity. Lucy doubted he would have fed her if he didn't have to. He had no delusions about regaining her trust. A man as stone cold as Jude wasn't that foolish.

"Moping and feeling sorry for yourself will get you nowhere," Jude said, setting the tray down on the nightstand. "I would have expected you to at least be presentable. Get dressed. Bathe. Brush your hair. Something."

"It would have been a waste of time," Lucy said. "I wanted to get started right away, given my time constraints. Unfortunately, you failed to realize that without removing these cuffs, I can't work on my magic at all."

"I didn't fail to realize anything," Jude snapped. "I was giving you time to recover. I was being generous. But I like your enthusiasm. No, I realize the cuffs prevent you from practicing your magic, but I also wanted to make sure that your Spirits were safely stowed away before I released you. It wouldn't do for you to get your hands on them, would it?"

He walked over to her and bent down, running a hand over the cuffs. The little yellow light that Lucy had tried in vain to put out finally flickered off. "There. Your cuffs are now just restraints. They will remain on. If you try anything funny, all it takes is a single brush of my hand and you're nothing again." He took her hand and abruptly yanked her off the ground, guiding her to the bed and sitting her down. "Eat," he demanded. He took a step back. "You'll need your energy."

Lucy sneered and used both hands to grip the sandwich, taking a bite. She didn't like obeying his orders, but she wasn't going to pass up food while it was readily available to her. There was no telling when he might take it away. Jude watched her as she ate, his little black eyes narrowing.

"Finished," Lucy said as she took one last bite out of the apple. She pushed the tray away and stood up. "I'll get started now."

Rather than taking the tray and leaving as she'd expected him to do, Jude drew up the wooden chair and planted himself down in it. "Brilliant. I can't wait to see a Celestial Spirit mage at work."

Lucy frowned. "You're staying here?"

"Yes. It wouldn't do for you to make a silver key and then use it against me while the cuffs are inactive, would it?" Jude smirked and leaned back, crossing his arms. "You're not as surreptitious as you think, Lucy. I've thought of everything. You won't trick me. All I have to do to render you powerless is run my hand over those cuffs. There's no loophole. There's no means of escape. You will do as I say, or you will suffer the consequences."

Lucy bit back a retort and took a deep breath, trying to harness the anger and frustration that flared up inside her. She didn't know exactly how her powers worked, but she knew that her emotions had a lot to do with it. She needed to keep them under control until she figured out what to do. Her plan had just gotten a lot more complicated.

* * *

><p>The castle was dark when they arrived.<p>

There were no gates, but the doors were closed, the big oak doors that were surprisingly sturdy. Jude was troubled when he saw their stationary state. "They're enchanted," he said. "I had them enchanted so that no one could enter when they were locked and closed."

"I'll get them open," Natsu vowed. He punched at the wood, punched and punched with everything he had, until his knuckles were bruised and bloody, but he didn't even leave a dent. Enraged, he blew all the fire in his belly, but the doors absorbed the heat with the thirst of a dry sponge. They glowed bright red for several seconds, but eventually faded back to their standard brown sheen. He scowled and kicked them. They didn't even rattle. "Damn it! There's got to be a way to get in!"

"When I was king, I had Love and Lucky completely barricaded in case of a revolt. The doors, the windows, every single brick is enchanted to resist any magical or physical assault." He scoffed bitterly. "I wanted my family to be safe."

"You're sure there's not an opening somewhere?" Natsu said, exasperated. "Anywhere?"

Jude shook his head hopelessly.

"No spell is perfect," Happy said resolutely. "If Levy was here - "

"Levy isn't here," Natsu interrupted. "And we don't have the time to wait for her. We need to get in there _now_."

He turned and kicked the door again in frustration. Something flew out of his pocket and landed on the pavement beside Jude's feet. The man bent over and picked it up off the ground, gaping at it in wonder and astonishment. "Where did you get this?" he whispered.

Natsu turned and saw he was cradling Taurus's golden key. "It's a Celestial Spirit. He was guarding a bridge in the forest. We fought him and he became a key again. I put him in my pocket and forgot to give him back to Lucy."

"She's a Celestial Spirit mage?"

"Yeah, Lucy loves her Spirits," Natsu said, gently taking the key from Jude's trembling hands. He gazed down at it and recalled the key ring perpetually jingling on her belt or on that garter, remembered the care and consideration she had for each and every key, thought of the fear she tried to hide from him, the fear that one day she would turn someone she loved into a silver key and inadvertently enslave them forever. He gripped the key in his fist and closed his eyes. He wondered if she even knew the trouble she was in, if she even knew that the man inside was an imposter.

"Just like her mother," Jude murmured.

Happy, who had been lost in thought since the appearance of the key, clapped his paws together, drawing Natsu and Jude out of their respective reveries. "I remember Levy telling when she was trying to break Gajeel's curse that, in order to craft a spell, the mage had to take all things into consideration," he said. "That's the only way it would work."

"We took everything into consideration," Jude said matter-of-fact. "Makarov was the one who constructed this barricade. It took him weeks. I'm fairly certain he covered everything. He collaborated with several different wizards, some of whom were even on the Council."

"But he can't cover something he doesn't know about," Happy pointed out. "For instance, a rare hereditary magic with only three descendants that took even a skilled mage like Jose Porla decades to research."

"My Dragonslayer magic is pretty rare," Natsu said.

"Not at the time," Jude replied eagerly. "When this was constructed, dragons were dwindling, but they were still present, especially around here. Dragonslayers were even more common."

"So, what you're saying is that this key might be able to break down the doors because Makarov didn't think about writing Celestial magic into the enchantment?" Natsu said for clarification.

Happy shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

Jude and Natsu shared a glance. The former king nodded. "You do it."

Natsu took a deep breath and lifted the key. He felt the uncomfortable sensation of needles crawling up his arm and into his mouth, blossoming from his lips of their own accord. "_Open the Gate of the Bull! Taurus!_"

There was a bright flash of light and suddenly the great hulking bovine was standing in front of them, looking utterly flummoxed. He focused his little eyes on Natsu and his nostrils flared. "Yoooooou!" he cowed, raising his axe up into the air. "Yooooou son of a - "

"Stop!" Natsu snarled, his fists igniting. It had just been a reflex to say the word, but much to his surprise the Spirit actually froze in place, his arms trembling with the desire to bring the heavy axe down on the Dragonslayer's head. Natsu blinked and put out his flames.

"Yoooou..." Taurus groaned. "Yooooou...where's Capricorn...what...?"

"Look, here's the deal," Natsu said. "Capricorn belongs to Lucy now, and so do you. Well, sort of. You will once she forms a contract with you, but right now she can't."

"Luuuucy?" Taurus repeated. His eyes lit up and he lowered his axe, bringing it to his side. "Yoooou mean that blonde with the hot body?"

Jude and Natsu both glared. "Yes, the girl you met at the ravine," Natsu growled.

Taurus's snout stretched into a lecherous grin. "Hell yes, I'll form a contract with her! She's way hotter than Capricorn! Where is she? Oh, Luuuuuucy?"

"Well, Lucy's in trouble," Natsu said. "She's inside this castle and we can't knock down the doors because they're enchanted. In order for us to save her, you'll have to try knocking them down. Capricorn and all the rest of Lucy's keys are in there, too."

"Nooooo problem," Taurus said, heaving his axe over his shoulder. "Nothing can withstand the sharp edge of my axe. Especially when there's a body as hot as Luuuuucy's on the other side!"

"I'm not so sure about this anymore," Jude said wryly.

"Most of the Celestial Spirits have a personality quirk," Happy said. "I guess Taurus is just a big ol' pervert. Loke's not really any better, he's just more suave about it."

"Wait," Jude said, eyes widening. "Did you just say _Loke_?"

Happy blanched. "Oops."

With a mighty moo, Taurus raise his axe into the air and brought it down on the doors. There was a bright green flash, and the metal axe rebounded. Taurus reeled, nearly taking off Natsu's head in the process. "Hey, watch it, cow!" the Dragonslayer protested from where he'd dropped to the ground.

Taurus paid him no mind. His eyes grew red with rage, and his nostrils let out steam, and he ran at the door again, bringing the axe down. Once more, there was a flash and Taurus's arms were nearly yanked out of their sockets by the force of the rebound. The door was still unscathed.

"This isn't working," Jude cried, running forward. "You're just going to hurt yourself, Spirit. It's hopeless. This barrier is impenetrable."

"Shut your mouth!" Natsu snapped. He looked solemnly at the door. "It's never hopeless. We'll give him another chance."

Taurus swung his axe over his head, giving another moo that sounded suspiciously like "Luuuuucy!" and ran forward, hacking at the door for a third time. This time the flash was longer, and the axe slid across it before rebounding. When the light faded, there was a slim tan sliver splitting the dark wood. Taurus gave triumphant grin, turning his burning eyes to the astounded former king. Natsu bent down, retrieving a splinter from the ground.

"See?" he said. "What'd I tell you?"

* * *

><p>Jude sat in that wooden chair the entire time, just looking at her with those cold eyes. He never grew angry or frustrated, never said a word against her or for her. He didn't say a word at all. He just sat there. Observing. Waiting. For Lucy was getting nowhere, and sunset was quickly approaching. Soon he would turn her cuffs back on and he would summon Aries. Lucy would have to watch while he tormented poor, innocent Aries, who was already so broken.<p>

Lucy focused her efforts on a little compass Jude had given her. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to change it into a Celestial Spirit. She didn't feel that tightening of her chest, that hitch in her breathing, that surge of power. All she felt was the hard, smooth surface of the compass in her hand and she tried to will life into it.

She had resorted to staring at it when she heard a faint rumble and boom. It seemed nearby, somewhere outside the castle. It could have been a number of things, she supposed; thunder, a collision in the streets, someone dropping boxes. She told herself that, but a little light of hope still caught in her heart. What if it was Natsu coming back for her?

But that was ridiculous. Natsu had no idea that she was even in peril. He had no idea that Jude was exactly what Loke said he'd be, and worse. Just like Lucy, he'd fallen for the act. There was no reason for him to come rescue her. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing to rescue her from. No, it probably wasn't Natsu. And as much as Lucy hated to admit it, she couldn't count on him swooping in to save her again.

Jude frowned and slowly stood from his chair. He turned those eyes to her and reached. Lucy scrambled back, but Jude grabbed her by the wrist and reactivated her cuffs, dropping her as soon as the yellow light began to glow. "Wait here," he said. Then he left, closing the door behind him.

Lucy threw the compass at the closing door. After a few moments of silence, something occurred to her. She hadn't heard the click of the lock.

Slowly, not even daring to breathe, she crept forward. She picked up the compass. And then she reached for the knob. It turned under her hand. The door creaked open. In his haste, Jude had made a mistake. A wonderful, wonderful mistake.

Lucy peeked into the corridor, but she didn't see her father anywhere. She snuck out and closed the door behind her, creeping down the corridor, using the wall as a support. The first thing she needed to do was find her keys. Or perhaps she should escape first and, once she'd rallied the Rune Knights behind her using the cuffs as proof, get Jude arrested and come back for her Spirits. She had no idea where he'd hidden them anyway. Leaving them did open them up for torment, but Lucy doubted he'd do it while she wasn't there to witness. Lucy just had to pray that her Spirits stayed strong. They were probably safer if she left them.

She reached the end of the corridor. It was a dead end. Helplessly she looked down at the compass, trying to remember how exactly to get out of Love and Lucky. She heard the boom again, closer this time. She hoped that was a good sign, although she doubted it.

Lucy backtracked until she found a separate corridor, this one leading north. There were windows instead of doors lining this passage, so she could see the outside. She must have been on the upper floor, for she could see the entire front property of Love and Lucky. The gate loomed above, black in the sinking sun. There were random bursts of green light reflecting on its surface. Frowning, Lucy peered down further. Yes, the light was coming from the entrance of Love and Lucky, but she couldn't see what was causing it. She heard another boom.

A solid heavy hand landed on her shoulder and wheeled her around, pressing her back into the window. Jude looked enraged, his slicked back hair curling slightly, his eyes harboring a crazed spark. "Getting to know your way around, I see," he said. His voice was different; more of a hiss, less baritone, more sinister.

Lucy took her chances and swung the cuffs at him. He caught them with his hands, and the yellow light went out. Lucy smiled. Her foot went up, sliding between his legs. The impact was sure, and Jude groaned and collapsed, releasing her. Lucy raced past him, down the corridor. All she needed were to find the stairs. Then she could get to whoever was trying to break down the door. She could get to Natsu.

There were no stairs in this corridor either. Another dead end. Lucy doubled back, but Jude had recovered and was following her, walking stiffly toward her, blocking her path. She looked around and noticed a door. Upon opening it, she realized it was just a small dark closet.

Suddenly Jude was behind her. He grabbed her by the arms and shoved her inside the closet, closing the door. Lucy hit the wall, unable to catch herself before the light vanished and she was trapped. "NO!" she screamed, pounding on the door. She could feel the panic rising up inside, the walls closing in. "Please, let me out! PLEASE!"

"I don't have the patience for you anymore," Jude said.

The panic was tugging, pulling at her from inside. She pounded on the door again. The darkness was choking her. "Let me out! Please, just let me out of here!"

Something inside of her snapped, and there was a bright flash of light. Her hand burned. Evidently Jude must have noticed, because the door opened. In the light from the corridor she saw a big red bird with a black compass on its head staring at her blankly. A new Spirit.

"Brilliant," Jude said, mystified.

"Pyxis," Lucy christened, remembering the brand scribbled on the side of the compass. The Spirit squawked and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The silver key rang like a small bell when it landed in front of her on the floor. She lunged for it, barely grasping it in her fingers before Jude's foot came down on her hand. She cried out as the pain shot up her arm and recoiled away. Jude took Pyxis, throwing it up in the air before catching it again.

Jude grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up, inciting a shriek. He reactivated her cuffs, scowling. "That was clever, but you should have waited until you knew your way around better." He dragged her back down the corridor to her room, where he threw her inside. "You've done nothing to help yourself. All you've done is shown me the way to get you and your filthy magic to cooperate. All you've done is given me another hostage."

There was another boom from outside. Lucy grinned, rubbing her scalp. "I think someone's knocking on your door," she said smugly.

"Funny," Jude snapped. "They won't get inside. This castle is impenetrable. I'll have them taken care of before tomorrow. Then I'll have a little surprise for you. You may have done as I asked, but you still defied me by trying to escape. It presents the perfect opportunity to test how long it takes to make a little ram beg for mercy."

"You're the sickest man I've ever met," Lucy hissed. "If you touch Aries, if you touch any of my Spirits, I'll tear you to pieces!"

"How? Kick me again, and I'll bind your feet. Claw at me, I'll force gloves on your hands. Bite me, I'll gag you. No matter what you do, I'll restrain you. You're helpless against me, Lucy. Just listen to your father."

"You're not my father," Lucy snarled.

Jude's lip turned up at the corner, amused. "And you were never my daughter."

He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. This time, Lucy heard the click. She collapsed on the bed and put her head in her hands. She felt her eyes burning, but she refused to cry. Maybe she had failed herself and her Spirits, but she would not reveal weakness in front of Jude Heartphilia again. She would remain strong. As strong as a dragon.

Distantly, she heard another boom.


	103. The Big Reveal

**Author's Note:** _Guys. Guys. Guys guys guys._

_The next chapter is the last chapter._

_*dies*_

* * *

><p><strong>CIII: The Big Reveal<strong>

"...And that's the gist of it," Happy finished.

Jude ran a hand through his hair. "So, my son is a Celestial Spirit and the only way for him to come back to the real world is to trick another person into taking his place as Leo?"

"Aye."

"He's too good for that," Jude sighed. "He would never do that."

"I don't think he minds much, if it makes you feel any better," said Happy. "He's got lots of friends in the Celestial Spirit World, and he's really devoted to Lucy. I don't think he minds being a Spirit. He might even like it better than being human."

Jude didn't respond. He'd asked several questions during Happy's rendition of Loke's fate after he'd forfeited the throne and left Acalypha, which Happy had answered to the best of his ability. It required much backstory regarding Lucy's journey as well, which Jude also had many questions about. There wasn't much they could do while Taurus worked at the enchanted door to Love and Lucky, so by this point Jude was relatively caught up. Happy wasn't originally going to share any information regarding Loke with Jude, but his earlier slip-up had galvanized such annoying, unrelenting prodding that Natsu eventually gave the okay to tell.

The Salamander hadn't contributed anything else to the story, though. He just stood by and watched Taurus work at the door. The wood looked like it'd been attacked by a bear; it was almost hacked to pieces in some places, but no matter how hard they tried, Natsu and Taurus couldn't quite get it to open yet. Nearly an hour had passed. Surely the imposter knew they were attacking, but he'd yet to launch a defense. It clearly nettled Natsu, who's eyes were constantly trained on the square windows of Love and Lucky, looking for any sign of nefarious activity. Jude told him that the glass was also enchanted to shield the identity of those within, but it didn't stop Natsu's steady stare.

Finally, Natsu opened his mouth.

"What do you think's gonna happen when we rescue Lucy?" he said, not looking at Jude. "And Loke, too. What's your plan?"

"I haven't decided yet," Jude admitted. "I won't deny that I want my children in my life, I want to get to know them, but I'm clearly not in any position to take care of them. I can barely take care of myself."

"Lucy can take care of herself," said Natsu. "She could get a job and a place, and so could you. The two of you together could live, maybe not lavishly, but you could make it. You could even get out of here. I know for a fact that Makarov would take you in, and so would Fried probably. They like Lucy a lot. You don't have to worry about taking care of her."

"Yeah," Jude sighed. "I...I guess I don't. I want her in my life, though, her and Loke both. I'm not going to just give her to you, you know."

At that, Natsu turned to look at the former king. His eyes were two hot, burning coals set in his face. "Get one thing straight, old man. Lucy's not your property. She doesn't _belong_ to you. She's not yours to give, not to anyone."

Jude's face grew bright red. He scowled. "Look here, kid, you may know Lucy better than me, but you're not going to talk to me like that, understand? I don't care what you've done for her."

"I'll talk to you however I want," said Natsu. "I don't care if you're royalty, or a hobo, or Lucy's father. Lucy is going to chose whatever she wants to do. And you're not going to try to guilt her or force her into anything. She's going to talk to you and then she's going to make a decision. You don't get to complain about that decision. I won't either. But no one is giving anyone to anybody. Lucy is going to make her own decision. That's it."

Natsu's eyes flicked back over to the castle when, suddenly, there was an earth-shattering boom and a screech from Taurus. The Bull grinned and turned to the others, brandishing his axe. There was a giant, fist-sized hole in the door, revealing the interior of Love and Lucky's parlor. Taurus gave another boisterous moo, raised the axe over his head, and brought it down on the brittle wood. The doors exploded in a shower of splinters, and a great green burst of light ran over the castle, between every brick and window pane.

Jude gaped at the display as it faded into darkness. "I can't believe it," he whispered.

Natsu just grinned and raced forward. "Good job, Cow! Now, let's go get Lucy!"

"Luuuuuuucy's hot body!" Taurus roared, barreling into the castle after Natsu. Jude and Happy followed suit, kicking what remained of the solid oak doors out of their way.

They didn't even have to look for the fake Jude Heartphilia. He stood in the center of the parlor, smirking smugly at the procession. "Salamander," he said, "how nice to see you again. Did you forget something?"

"Yeah," Natsu growled, fists glowing with flame. "Where's Lucy?"

"I'm afraid that my daughter is a bit preoccupied at the moment," the imposter replied. "She decided that she's going to train to become an even more powerful mage. Isn't that exciting?"

"She's not your daughter, you faker!" the poor Jude shouted, stepping up beside Natsu. "She's mine!"

"Who are you, exactly?"

"We should be asking you that same question," Natsu growled. "He's the real Jude Heartphilia. He proved it to me. Who are you, and what do you want with Lucy?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken," the imposter sighed. "I don't know what this man told you, dear boy, but he's lying through his grubby yellow teeth. I am the real Jude Heartphilia, and all I want from Lucy is to enjoy her company, as father and daughter should."

"I've had enough of this!" Natsu cried. He raced forward, raising a flaming fist, but with amazing speed the phony Jude dodged the attack.

"I will not be attacked in my own castle!" he sneered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something horribly familiar: a golden Zodiac key.

"That's Lucy's," Natsu whispered. He scowled, fire growing hotter as his rage consumed him. "What have you done with Lucy?!"

"_Open, the Gate of the Lion!_" the imposter roared over Natsu's yelling. "_Leo!_"

In a blinding flash of sunlight, Loke was there, blinking in disbelief. He frowned at Natsu and the strange poor man behind him, and then turned to see who had summoned him, for he'd felt that it wasn't Lucy.

He froze when his eyes landed on Jude Heartphilia.

"_You_," he growled, deep and low in his throat, the growl of an angry lion. The ring on his hand blazed bright light as he lifted it. "What the hell are _you_ doing with my key?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jude said. Even he looked a bit startled. "I wasn't expecting this. My own son, a Celestial Spirit."

"I'm not your son!" Loke shouted, preparing to attack. Then he stopped, as though some sort of invisible barrier were holding him back. He fell to his knees, sweat dripping from his face. "What...what's...?"

"I am your key holder at the moment, Leo," the fake Jude said. "Lucy is indisposed. Her contracts with you are void, and while I don't have a contract with you quite yet, my magic is still fuelling you and keeping you in this world. Therefore, it is a taboo to attack me."

"Lucy?" Loke whispered. He grew enraged again, but only cried out in agony as the invisible taboo held him back. "What have you done with Lucy, you bastard?!" He turned and scowled at Natsu, eyes burning behind his sunglasses. "Natsu. _What did you do_?"

"Don't worry, Loke," Natsu said, clenching his fists. "I'm getting Lucy out of this mess. Whatever it takes."

"Touching," the imposter sneered. "But it will take more than you might expect, Salamander. Leo, attack!"

Loke convulsed with a groan, but he smiled at the fake Jude ruefully. "There's something you don't know about me, Jude. It's not the first time I've had a shitty key holder. I might not be able to attack you, but I don't have to do what you say. And my guess is that you're not powerful enough to summon a second Spirit to do your dirty work." The Lion stood up, trembling at the effort. "I'm not going back, either. Not until Lucy's safe."

The imposter's face grew dark. He pointed the key at Loke, clearly trying to force him back into his gate, but to no avail. The Lion stayed put, feet squarely on the ground.

Natsu came up from behind the fake Jude. "_Fire Dragon's Roar!_"

When the flame dispersed, the imposter was splayed across the floor, toasted. Taurus, Natsu, Jude, and Happy surrounded him. Natsu's fist went aflame. "Alright, you phony," he spat. "Where's Lucy?"

"You...think...you've got me..." the man wheezed. As they watched, his sturdy square face became pale and narrow, his slick blonde hair bushy and thick. His limbs shrank and shriveled, until there was just a scrawny man in an oversized suit laying at their feet.

"Zoldeo," the real Jude gasped.

The scrawny man scowled and spat in his direction. "That's right, you son of a bitch," he hissed in a rasping voice.

"I should have known," the former king said. "You were the first to go once this kingdom started to collapse. You had no sense of loyalty, no sense of honor. But how could you do this to Lucy? You were Layla's cousin! Where's your sense of decency?"

"I was nothing but your court jester!" Zoldeo rasped. "Your fool! I was a fool to stay with you for as long as I did. Layla's cousin? All she did was curse me! She gave me that Zodiac key knowing full well I would be sucked into it! I hadn't yet found my own magic, so when she gave me that key I merged with Capricorn and I've been stuck between the material world and the Celestial Spirit world ever since." He grinned. "But I know how my magic works now, Jude. And what a wonderful kind of magic it is."

With lightning speed, he leapt at Taurus. Instead of hitting the pounds of muscular flesh, he sank into it, becoming one with the bovine. Taurus's eyes grew wide and red and he roared, raising his axe high in the air.

"Get back!" Natsu said, pushing Jude out of the way as the axe came down. Jude blinked, and when he looked back the edge of the axe was inches from Natsu's face. He had the flats of the blade sandwiched between his hands, body trembling as he struggled against Taurus's mighty strength.

"Isn't this neat?!" the cow said in Zoldeo's voice. "Possession! I can also weave some pretty convincing illusions, wouldn't you agree, Salamander? I sure fooled you! Fooled you enough to get you to trust me with the love of your life, didn't I?" His bulging muscles rippled as they pressed down harder on the axe. "Now die!"

Suddenly, Jude came out of nowhere in a whirl of gray cape, colliding with the Bull with a bodily thump. He didn't knock Zoldeo down, but the axe wavered, and Natsu knocked it back, dodging its sharp edge. Zoldeo wheeled around to face Jude, steam coming from his nostrils. "I've had about enough of you, Jude Heartphilia!" he roared, charging with the axe up in the air.

"Watch out!" Loke shoved Jude out of the way. The axe came down and landed squarely on his back, opening up a large, gushing wound.

"_Loke_!" Jude screamed, catching his son. The Lion blinked up at him, and then faded away, back into the Celestial Spirit world. Or so Natsu hoped. He didn't know what happened to Spirits who sustained deadly injuries. But Leo's key landed in Jude's hand and nothing happened, so that was a good sign.

"You should really pay more attention!" Zoldeo said, lifting up the axe.

In that second, Natsu got an idea. "STOP!" he cried.

And Zoldeo did.

He turned to look at the Salamander, eyes wide with disbelief. "What...?"

"I summoned Taurus," Natsu said. "C'mon, you stupid cow! Fight! For Lucy!"

"Luuuucy..." The Bull clutched his head, tossing it back and forth as Zoldeo and Taurus battled for dominance. "Luuuuuucy...Luuuuuuucy's body..."

Natsu raced forward, raising a fist. He made solid contact with Taurus's hard head, sending the Bull sprawling to the ground. The axe flew from his hand and he landed, dazed, across the room. "Sorry, Taurus," Natsu said. "_Fire Dragon's Roar_!"

The cow didn't scream, but Zoldeo did. When the flames dispersed for a second time, it was just the scrawny little man again, singed and limp on the ground. Taurus's key glittered near him, but Zoldeo wasn't conscious. Natsu strode over and picked it up, the searched him for the other keys. When he found them he stood and turned to Jude, who was still grasping Leo's key and staring at the Salamander in amazement.

"Natsu!"

The Dragonslayer's heart leapt into his throat. He turned to see Lucy standing at the edge of the parlor, still dressed in the nightgown, wrists linked together with cuffs. Happy stood beside her, rubbing his head. "I went looking for her while Zoldeo was distracted," he explained. He glared at her crossly. "She hit me with a tray when I finally found her."

Lucy was running toward Natsu before Happy was done talking, simply colliding into him since she couldn't use her restrained arms to hug him. Natsu did so instead, crushing her to his body to make sure she was real. He worried for a moment that she was crying, but then he realized she was laughing.

Natsu grinned at the cat over her shoulder. "Good job, Happy."

"Aye."

"I'm so glad you came," she said. "All my escape plans were really terrible."

"I shouldn't have had to come back," Natsu replied. "I shouldn't have left you here."

Lucy took a step back, blinking her big brown eyes at him innocently. "Why did you come back?"

Natsu suspected he knew the answer she wanted, that he couldn't bare to be without her, but that was the reason he'd left, not the reason he'd come back. And it wasn't fair to Jude to tell her that. So he gave her the truth. He turned and pointed to Jude, who had stood and was inching closer to them. "I ran into him," he said.

"Who...is he?" she asked.

"Lucy," Jude whispered, stopping. "I...I never thought I'd see you again."

Lucy frowned, and squinted at him. Then her eyes widened and she took a step back. "You...you're..."

"I'm your real father," Jude said. "That man was an imposter. I promise, I'm nothing like him. Your friend can vouch for me."

"It's true, he's the real Jude Heartphilia," Natsu said neutrally. "He's got proof. Lucy...I'm sorry I left you with this guy." He jabbed a thumb at the crispy Zoldeo. "I shouldn't have done that. I should have stayed longer to make sure that he was really in the clear. I broke my promise to you. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," said Lucy, taking her eyes off Jude to smile at Natsu. "He fooled us both. But...how did he get into Love and Lucky?"

"It's abandoned," Jude explained, hanging his head. "I'm not in charge of it anymore. I'm no longer a duke, or a business man. I lost everything. I'm just another homeless man on these streets." He took a step closer to Lucy, holding out a hand. "But I still want you in my life, Lucy. We'll get out of this place. I'll find a job somewhere else and support us. I'll tell you stories about your mother, and we'll find a way to get Loke out of this key. We'll be a family again."

Lucy blinked in rapid succession. "Well," she breathed. "I...I don't really know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything right now," said Jude. "Just think about it. Please, for me. Just think about it."

"I...I need a moment. Alone." Lucy stood and walked out of the room, not looking back, leaving Natsu, Jude, and Happy in silence.

"That wasn't quite the reunion I was expecting," Jude sighed.

"Yeah, me neither," Natsu grumbled, looking miserably at the key ring in his hand. He narrowed his eyes at Jude. "A little pushy, don't you think?"

"It's not like I had a lot of time to convince her," Jude snorted. "You've obviously got the upper hand."

"You really had to bring her mother into it?"

"It's the truth! The girl deserves to know about her mother, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but you shouldn't wave it over her head like - "

"Uh, guys," said Happy, nudging Zoldeo with his foot. "What should we do with him?"

One charred hand grabbed Happy's paw. "I'll...get you..." Zoldeo huffed, but Happy's shriek drowned out the rest of what he was saying.

"Getoffgetoffgetoff!" the blue cat cried, batting at Zoldeo's face. The traitorous mage groaned and flopped back down, defeated. Happy flew away, perching on Natsu's head.

"Good job, Happy," Natsu said again, smiling.

"A-aye," the cat wheezed.


	104. A Happy Ending

**Author's Note:** _So this is the last chapter. Therefore I have an excuse for an extremely long author's note. Just bare with me._

_I think I should cover all the standard last author's note stuff. I'd like to thank everyone who read and reviewed and favorited and followed _A Tale Or Two_ right down to the very end. It was a laborious two year process, but it was a labor of love, and I think it was worth it. I'm pretty proud of it, and I sincerely hope that you guys have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it._

_Unfortunately, there will be **NO PREQUEL** and **NO SEQUEL**. This is the absolute last chapter of this story. There will be no more Natsu or Lucy in this particular universe. However, I do plan on writing some more NaLu (for those of you who asked in their review). I don't know when exactly, because I've got some other stuff that I'd like to work on first, but eventually there will be another NaLu story. Check my profile for more details, and while you're there, feel free to vote on the poll. :)_

_It's been a great ride, guys. I've really enjoyed it. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now. Probably sit in front of my computer like a potato, staring blankly at the screen, trying to think of something to type with my potato fingers but failing miserably._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. I never have. I probably never will. It will forever and always belong to Hiro Mashima, that dirty bastard._

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><p><strong>CIV: A Happy Ending<strong>

It took several hours of explaining, but Lucy eventually convinced the Rune Knights to not arrest Natsu and Jude.

The Knights barged in soon after the two of them had tied Zoldeo up and propped him against the wall. They'd been alerted by the large flashing green lights and loud noises coming from Love and Lucky, and worried about dark sorcery taking place in the vacant castle. When they saw the destroyed door and then the decrepit old hobo and stranger tying up another defeated man, they didn't ask questions. They just made arrests.

Luckily, Lucy heard the commotion and came to investigate. Natsu and Jude were trying to explain, but Zoldeo had awakened and was screaming false accusations, telling the Rune Knights that the two of them had attacked him and were planning on using him as a human sacrifice.

"That's preposterous!" Jude bellowed. He turned to a Knight. "Do you not recognize me? I'm Jude Heartphilia! The former King of Fiore! Why would I dabble in dark magic?"

"He's a necromancer!" Zoldeo shrieked, trashing wildly. "He's deranged! He wants to resurrect my cousin, Layla Heartphilia! He was going to use my blood and body to bring her back to life!"

"You shut your filthy mouth!" Jude snarled, launching himself at Zoldeo. The madman screeched again and scrambled away, trying to hide behind the circle of befuddled law enforcement.

"You _see_?!" he cried. "You _see_?! He's violent! He's aggressive! He's evil!"

"I would never desecrate my wife's memory like that! I would never taint her soul with black magic, you dirty lying bastard!"

"Calm down, both of you," said the head Rune Knight. "Come on, we're taking all four of you to the headquarters until we get this mess figured out."

It was then that Lucy stepped into the light, revealing her presence to the Knights. "Um, excuse me? I think I could help with that."

A room had never gone silent so quickly. After several tense, uncomfortable moments, Zoldeo started up with, "You _see_? You _see_?" again, but this time no one was really listening.

First, Lucy had to convince the Knights that she was not, in fact, Layla's resurrection, but her long lost daughter returned from a seventeen year imprisonment at the hands of Jose Porla. She told her entire tale from beginning to end for the second time that week, slowly convincing each dubious Knight of her identity. When she recounted the suffering Zoldeo had put her through, supported by the bruise blossoming across her cheek from where he'd struck her, the Rune Knights grew incredibly livid. What Capricorn - or, rather, Zoldeo posing as Capricorn - had said was true: the Lost Princess's disappearance was still a festering wound in Acalypha, chaffing the people's hearts and burdening their spirits. They had adored their late queen, and Layla's loss had been a loss to them all.

Lucy's testimony was enough to release her rescuers and convict Zoldeo. The Knights dragged him from the castle, but defeat had driven him mad. He said nothing more, but occasionally he whimpered or growled.

"Sir," she said to the head Knight, "I know that Love and Lucky is vacated and that my father doesn't own it anymore, but...I'd really appreciate it if I could stay here. Just for tonight."

The Rune Knight smiled at her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stay as long as you need, princess. It is a relief to know that you are alive, and an honor to have met you. If you need anything, please come by headquarters."

Lucy nodded as they left. When they were all gone, the room was quiet. Natsu, Jude, and Happy were all staring at her. Without a word, she turned and left them once again.

She wandered until she found the room she was looking for. It was at the top of one of Love and Lucky's sturdy square towers. The door was closed and locked, but when Lucy stepped inside, she knew immediately that it was the place where she'd been born. Her mother's bedroom.

Everything was dressed in light cream and gold. The bed was made, and there was a glass on the nightstand that had obviously been filled with water. There were fingerprints from a dainty hand still around the middle, and smudges made from full lips on the rim. From the window Lucy could see a garden, one that was probably gorgeous during any other season, but was bare and desolate all covered in snow.

At the foot of the bed there was a tarnished bronze trunk. Lucy turned from the window and knelt beside it. Her fingers trembled as she opened the latch and lifted the lid. Inside were dresses, folded neatly between tissue paper and pressed gardenias. Lucy took a soft blue shift in her hands and pressed it to her cheek, breathing in her mother's preserved scent. It sent a pang of longing through her entire body. When Lucy set the dress down, there was a deeper dot of blue on the fabric.

She jumped when someone knocked on the door.

"Uh, Lucy? It's Natsu," said the Dragonslayer, his voice uncertain from the other side of the door. Lucy didn't think she'd ever heard Natsu uncertain about anything. He was always pressing forward, always knowing what was right and best. In his mind, at least. He was reckless, but he was decisive. "Look," he continued after a pause, "you don't have to come out and talk to me, but I wanted to bring you your keys. In case...well, in case you wanted to talk to Loke. Or somebody."

Natsu seemed startled when Lucy opened the door. He had bent down and was preparing to slide the keys under it. He straightened up when he saw her, like a soldier coming to attention. Then he frowned and touched her cheek. "You're crying," he said.

"How did you know I was in here?" Lucy asked, accepting the key ring.

"I followed your scent." His eyes flicked to the room. "Is this...?"

Lucy turned. "Yeah. It's hers." She bit her lip as another tear slid down her face. "How is it possible to miss someone you've never met so much?"

Natsu's embrace was warm and strong. Lucy gave into it, letting the warmth engulf her, clinging to it for support. Natsu was always there to support her. "I don't know what I'm going to do," she sobbed into his chest. "I have no idea."

"No one's rushing your decision," said Natsu. "And everyone'll be fine with whatever you do decide. Don't worry about anyone else but yourself, okay?"

Lucy nodded as she pulled away, but she knew that was impossible. So much of her happiness depended on Natsu's happiness. But there was also a part of her that yearned to know more about her family, her mother and her father, her past, where she came from. She wanted to know about people like Zoldeo, and better people, too, the people who'd stayed by the Heartphilia family's side until the end of their era.

"How's your eye?" Natsu inquired, touching the bruised half of her face.

"Fine," said Lucy. She wanted to know so much, but she couldn't imagine life without Natsu and Happy, either. They were as much her family as Jude and Loke. "It hurts a little, but it's nothing I can't deal with."

"Okay," Natsu said. "I'll leave you alone to think, then."

Lucy smiled. "You're not going to barge in without warning?"

"No promises."

She watched as he turned his back and walked away. The word rose up her throat like a wave of hot air, too quickly and too suddenly for her to stop it. "Natsu!" In that word held all the desperation she felt, all the conflicting emotions within her, all the longing and utter confusion battling inside. It was at once a warning and an invitation. Natsu stopped, turned back, and smiled over his scarf, but then he kept walking.

_He won't do anything_, Lucy thought, looking down at the key ring in her hands, complete with two new keys, Capricorn and Taurus. _He knows it will be too painful for both of us if he does anything and I chose my father anyway_. It didn't stop Lucy from wanting him to turn back and hold her some more. She supposed that this was a sort of test; exactly how well could she do without Natsu's council, without his presence and support, things she'd depended on for so long?

But she had other council, opinions that mattered just as much as Natsu's and Jude's. She squeezed the keys in her fist and retreated back into her mother's old bedchambers, closing the door.

There were opinions that mattered, but there was something more important now. The first Spirit she summoned was probably the only one without an opinion, but the one who would bring her what she wanted most: comfort.

Plue popped into existence, landing shivering on her mother's bed, and Lucy folded him into her arms, laying there with him and burying her face in the pillows.

* * *

><p>Jude and Happy were waiting silently on the stairs when Natsu returned. "Took you long enough," the poor old man grumbled, rubbing his fingers through his beard as he regarded the Dragonslayer with a suspicious gaze.<p>

"Don't worry," Natsu said with an ugly grimace, "I didn't try to seduce her or anything."

"HA!" Happy blurted out, unable to control himself. The two men looked at him. He blinked. "Sorry, it's just...funny, that's all. Natsu trying to seduce anyone. Because he's been so oblivious to everything. Or pretended to be, I guess. It's really hard to tell."

Natsu shook his head and returned his pinched gaze to Jude. "Yeah. I'm not a cheater like you."

"How did I cheat? You're clearly at an advantage," said Jude. "All I did was mention what I could do for her. Tell her about her mother. Find a way for Loke to be human again. I offered her the only thing I can give her: a family."

"Family isn't all about blood, you know," Natsu replied. "Lucy's got plenty of family. There are people all over Fiore who love her and would do anything for her in a heartbeat. Levy, Mira and Fried, that dumb droopy-eyed Gray, Makarov, Erza...me and Happy, too. Lucy's got a lot more family than you might think."

"It's not her _real_ family."

"What does that even mean? Her _real_ family. You think because you're related to her you're more her family than we are?" Natsu stood up. "Let me tell you something about blood, Jude. I've never met my parents. Happy's never met his, either. Are you seriously telling me that, if we were to finally meet our 'families,' they would have more of a right to that title? That's stupid."

"It's the way it is," Jude said.

Natsu sat back down, crossing his arms. "Fine. Claim to be her family. I'm her nakama. That's not something you can ever take away."

"What are you going to do with yourself?" Jude said after a bit of a pause. "If she chooses me. What will you do?"

"What I've done for ten years now," Natsu replied with a shrug. "Look for Igneel. Travel. Fire-juggle."

"And if she decides to stay with you?"

"Same thing. But with Lucy."

"That's quite the nomadic lifestyle. Unstable. Unpredictable. Dangerous, even."

"Lucy's been in plenty of danger," said Natsu. "This deal with Zoldeo isn't even the worst of it. But she can handle herself. And Happy and I always have her back. Right, Happy?"

"Aye."

"Plus, Lucy can leave whenever she wants to," Natsu continued. "If she decides that she wants to stay with you, or live in the royal castle, or live out in the East Forest with Levy, she can do that. I just want her to be happy. I'd like her to stay with me, but if she's unhappy, then there's no point."

"What happens if you find your dragon?" Jude asked.

Natsu blinked. "...No one's ever asked me that before."

"Well, you must have envisioned it happening," Jude said. "I'm curious. What are you going to do once you find Igneel? What are you going to do if you never find him?"

"I guess I'll ask him everything I've always wanted to," Natsu said. "Why he left. What he's been doing. Stuff like that. And then...I don't really know. I guess it depends on what Igneel's answers are."

"Could you ever settle down?"

Natsu shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. I don't really like being in the same place for a long time. Makes me antsy. But Makarov's asked me to work for him a couple times, and that requires a lot of traveling, I think. So I could live in Magnolia and work for him. If...if I wanted to settle down. For some reason."

"Would you bring her to Acalypha again, if she wanted to visit me?" Jude inquired.

"Yeah, whenever she wanted."

"Would you visit her if she stayed here?"

Natsu thought about that question for the longest time. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah. I would."

* * *

><p>The second Spirit Lucy summoned was Taurus, to make a contract. There was a little confusion at first (apparently, Taurus was under the impression that Natsu promised he could "have Lucy's hot body" if he'd broken the barrier on Love and Lucky), but eventually it was cleared up and a generous contract ("Whenever you want me, baby") was made.<p>

Next, Lucy summoned Capricorn, in order to make a contract and to learn more about Zoldeo's unlikely tale. When he appeared he looked the same, although quite stunned at his surroundings. He focused on Lucy and his furry jaw went slack. "You survived," he said in awe.

"You mean Zoldeo?" Lucy replied. "Yeah. He's in prison now. I think he's gone a little bonkers."

"He's always been crazy," said Capricorn, lowering himself down on the bed. "I've had him in my head for more than a decade. Controlling my body, my will, my powers. Keeping me trapped here, in the material world, although it was agony for the both of us. He didn't want to risk my taking control again if we went back to the Celestial Spirit world, or, worse, having to follow the commands of a key holder should someone summon us."

"I'm glad you're back," said Lucy. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Lucy Heartphilia."

"Capricorn. I belonged to your mother. Layla. I don't know if Zoldeo told you that."

"He mentioned it," Lucy admitted. "I never knew that my mother was aware of her powers. I just thought...she'd never had the chance to explore them. I guess that was naïve. She probably just kept it from the public to prevent panic."

"Jude's idea," Capricorn confirmed. "Layla felt awful lying, but they had to do it. Things were just a lot less messier that way. That's why she gave me to Zoldeo, who aspired to be a mage but had until then projected no magic. She wanted me to have an adventurous life and for Zoldeo to chase his dream. She never realized that Zoldeo already had magic, a kind he couldn't control. She was a good woman."

"I've heard," Lucy murmured. "Thank you. For sharing that with me. How long were you in her service?"

"Since her birth. I've been in her family for many generations, passed down from mother to daughter when the power makes itself known. Usually I am the first and only Zodiac key the Celestial mage possesses, but I can see that you are already experienced."

Lucy placed her hands on her keys. "Yes, I've done some traveling. Taurus and I have a contract now."

"I'm sure you do," Capricorn said with amusement. "I served Layla for most of her life. I can tell you that she was a wonderful person. My affection for her went beyond that of duty or honor. I truly loved Layla, and I feel that you and her are similar souls. I would also like to make a contract with you, Lucy."

Lucy smiled. "I would like that, too."

So they made one, and Capricorn, like Taurus, offered his services whenever she might be in need of him. He promised to tell her stories of her mother and her grandmother, and her great-grandmother before that. The prospect made Lucy's stomach twist in excitement.

When Capricorn disappeared, there was only one Spirit left for Lucy to talk to. She always saved him for last. His opinion was the most important to her, particularly in this matter. Besides, he needed to know what was happening.

"_Open, the Gate of the Lion! Leo!_"

The tug for summoning Loke was uncomfortably strong, as though it took more of her power to get him here. But he arrived in a blazing hot flash of sunlight, dazzling in his suit and tie. His eyes rested on Lucy and his entire body went limp in relief. "Thank goodness," he sighed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into a hug. "I'm glad you're safe."

Lucy gasped and wriggled out of his arms, craning her neck to see his back. It was drenched in blood. "Loke! What happened?!"

"It's nothing that won't heal in a few days," Loke assured her. "Time moves differently in the Celestial Spirit world, don't worry. I was fighting Zoldeo and Taurus's axe got me in the shoulder. That's not important, though; how are you? Are you doing okay? Did Zoldeo or Jude do anything to hurt you? Who did this to your face?"

"I'm fine," Lucy said, moving from his fingertips as they brushed her cheek. "Zoldeo got a little rough with me, but he never really hurt me. And Jude...that's kind of what I summoned you here to talk about."

Loke narrowed his eyes. "Are you still planning on staying with him?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. "He doesn't _have_ anything anymore, Loke. There's no Heartphilia Kozern, no Love and Lucky, nothing. He's a hobo on the street. All he has is us. I just...I can't abandon him, especially not when he helped save me from Zoldeo, not when that wasn't his fault."

"He doesn't deserve to have anything, Lucy," Loke insisted. "He's a greedy, shriveled old man who doesn't care about anyone but himself. Then again, Natsu is obviously incapable of keeping you safe - "

"I don't need anyone to keep me safe," Lucy said wryly. "I could have escaped Zoldeo if I'd wanted to. And the only reason Natsu left was because...well, I don't really know why, but neither of us guessed that he was a monster in disguise. Both of us should have been more attentive."

Loke sat down on the bed. "Jude knows about me."

"I know. Happy told him everything." Lucy shrugged. "He wants us to be a family again."

"We were never a family before," Loke said harshly. "I don't care what he wants. I don't want him."

"Are you saying that if I decide to stay and live with him, you're going to leave?"

Loke looked shocked. "Live with him? Lucy, he's got nowhere to live!"

"Just answer my question," Lucy persisted. "Would you? Leave if I stayed?"

"Of course not," Loke sighed. "I wouldn't be happy about it, but I would never leave you. Especially not at his mercy. I'll stay with you, whatever you decide, but just know that I'm team Natsu. Or maybe you could even go off on your own. Go work for Makarov or Jellal. Discover the world at your leisure."

Lucy shook her head. "I want both of them in my life. But that's the problem. I don't think that will work well. I want to get to know my father, but I know that visits from Natsu...that just won't be enough. He's become such a big part of my life, him and Happy both. I can't imagine a day without them."

"I think," Loke said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "that you should do whatever your heart tells you. Close your eyes. Whose is the first face that you see?"

Lucy did it, and in that second she made her decision. It was as though everything inside of her shifted to fit together in a purposeful direction, because Loke's words rang true; she was thinking too much with her head, and not enough with her heart. And this was a decision made out of love, not reason. It wouldn't be an easy decision, but she could feel in her bones that it was the right one.

She opened her eyes. "I think I'm ready," she told her twin, nodding. "Will you come with me?"

"I don't want to talk to him again, Lucy," Loke said.

"You saved his life," Lucy pointed out. "They told me about it when the Rune Knights were here. You jumped in front of that axe for him. That's got to mean something, Loke. Just come with me, please. You won't have to talk to him if you don't want to. You can ignore him. But please, do this for me?"

"...Alright," Loke said finally. "For you."

* * *

><p>Jude and Happy were beginning to doze when Natsu first heard the soft sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. He was wide awake, looking at Cana's dragon tarot card again, and shot up so suddenly that the other two were equally alert by the time Lucy came into view, slightly supporting a limping Loke. Natsu's heart was in his throat. He could tell by the look in her eye that she'd made the decision.<p>

"Son," Jude whispered, standing. "You're okay. Thank heavens, I was so worried that...well, I don't know what happens to Spirits who are injured that severely - "

"Don't call me son," Loke snapped.

Jude blinked and looked down at his feet. "I suppose I deserve that."

Loke didn't respond. He just looked at Lucy, who was biting her lip nervously. "I...don't know how to begin," she said. She turned to Jude. "I really do want to get to know you. I want to hear stories about my mom, and our family. I want to know where I came from, but after a lot of thought...I've decided that it doesn't matter. Not as much as who I am now."

"I see," Jude rasped. He sat down again. "You're not staying with me. Are you?"

"No," said Lucy. "That's not exactly it. I'm not staying with you, but that doesn't mean I don't want to know you. I don't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you, or that my decision has anything to do with me disliking your or holding some kind of grudge."

"Of course not, my dear," Jude said. "I understand."

Lucy walked forward and threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad to have met you finally," she said. Jude chuckled and pulled away, gazing at her. His eyes flicked over to Loke, who was standing beside Natsu and Happy, watching with a blank face.

"I have...another proposition," he said. "For the both of you."

"What do you mean?" Loke growled.

"There's nothing for me in the material world," Jude explained. "I've no business, no possessions, and the only people I love are grown and independent, one trapped in a Zodiac key and the other chosen her own way. Loke, you're young and powerful. You could do great good in this world. I'm old and wasted. Let me trade places with you. Let me be Leo."

"WHAT?!" everyone said simultaneously. They turned to Loke, who was as shocked as the rest of them, eyes wide behind his sunglasses.

"You don't know what you're saying," the Spirit finally said, shaking his head. "You'd have to live in the Celestial Spirit world for an eternity. You'd never be able to come here without Lucy summoning you. You'll outlive everyone you love, and then your fate will be undetermined. You'll have no idea what the next key holder will be like, what your next owner might force you to do. Unless you're lucky enough to have someone like Lucy, you'll be a slave."

"And that's the last thing I want for my - for you," Jude said. "I want you to lead a good, normal life. And this gives me the opportunity to be with Lucy as well. Let me do this for you, Loke. I'm not asking for you to forgive me. I'm just asking you to let me try to do one good thing for my children."

There was a prolonged silence. Loke was still stunned, staring at his father as though he'd never seen him before. Finally he laughed a little and cleared his throat, eyes flitting about the room. "Now I know how you must have felt," he told Lucy through an uncomfortable smile. He didn't seem to want to look at Jude again, but he did it anyway, straight in the eye. "That's...a considerate offer. But I'm not unhappy as a Spirit. I've made friends. There are people - Spirits - that I...I care about. A lot. I don't know what I'd do with myself if I was human again."

Jude blinked in surprise, but he nodded. "Very well. It was foolish of me to think that I could...well. Help you."

"It wasn't foolish," Loke said hesitantly. He offered something that wasn't quite a smile, but a soft expression, one that wasn't so hostile and cold. It was something like a bit of forgiveness.

"...There is something," Lucy whispered, placing a hand on Jude's arm, "that you can do for us."

"What is it?"

"Leave Acalypha," Loke guessed.

Lucy nodded. "Go to Makarov or Fried, or anyone. Don't stay here and wallow in what you've lost. Find yourself again. I know it will be hard to leave Love and Lucky, but it's something you must do to get better."

"Mom wouldn't want you to stay here if it made you ill," Loke added. "Even after everything...she loved you."

Jude sagged under the weight of their suggestions. A glittering tear fell from his eye, landing in the yellow tangle of his beard. He nodded solemnly. Lucy squeezed his arm and stood, turning to the others. Loke smiled and silently dissipated, heading back to the Celestial Spirit world. Natsu tugged at his scarf, half hiding behind it as Lucy stepped forward to address him. He'd been curiously quiet during the entire conversation, as though, for the first time in his life, he was afraid to bring attention to himself.

"You're not staying here," he said when she came nearer.

Lucy shook her head. "No."

"Then what did you decide?"

"I decided," Lucy said, "to go my own path."

"I knew you would," Natsu sighed. He looked up at her from under his scarf, big dark eyes searching. "I'll miss you. I don't know if I told you that the first time. But I will. Happy, too. Right, Happy?"

"Aye," the cat said miserably. He was pinning his hopes on Lucy coming with them. This was the last thing he'd expected.

Lucy smiled and reached out, taking Natsu's hand. "What makes you think I'm leaving you?"

At this, the Dragonslayer and the cat looked at each other, confused. "What do you mean?" Natsu said.

"I said I'm choosing my own path," Lucy explained, "but that doesn't mean that I'm not accompanying you on yours. Our path is the same. We're in this together. I'm going to meet a dragon, and I'm going to see all I can see, and I'm going to be with my nakama while doing it."

She watched as the grin stretched across Natsu's face, and she matched it with her own. The next thing she knew, she was flying through the air in circles, laughing as Natsu spun her around and around. When he finally set her down, there was a pause. Lucy waited for a heartbeat, and then she rolled her eyes, grabbed Natsu by his scarf, and pulled him down for a kiss. She was tired of tiptoeing around it, tired of waiting. She'd chosen her own path, chosen him. The Dragonslayer was startled, but then he smiled against her lips and deepened the kiss, picking her up off the ground for a second time.

Jude didn't seem impressed, but Happy cheered.

* * *

><p>That night, the four of them went to the Rune Knights' headquarters for supplies. They decided to leave Acalypha the next morning, as promptly and quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the steady metronome that kept the weak town stable.<p>

Before they left, Lucy and her father visited Love and Lucky one last time. Jude stopped at the obliterated front door and sighed, taking in the entire dilapidated castle. Lucy stopped beside him, also looking up at the place she'd been born.

"I talked to the Knights," she said. "Asked them not to touch anything inside, except to fix the door. When you get yourself settled in Magnolia you can come and buy Mom's things back. They'll still be here."

"I was never worried about that," Jude said, smiling. "Everyone here loved your mother. They idolize her. No one would desecrate her belongings or the place where she lived. I just...I'll miss it. Being here. She walked these halls. Sometimes I can still see her, feel her."

Lucy touched his arm. "It's time to let her go."

"You're right," Jude said, grabbing her hand. "It's time to let her spirit rest, once and for all."

Lucy could have sworn she heard a little sigh come from the castle, as light and airy as the flutter of a sparrow's wing. But it was probably just a breeze.

She guided her father down the cobblestone streets of Acalypha, which had yet to awaken in the gray light of dawn. Chimneys were just beginning to breathe smoke, melting the soft white rings of snow around the brick rims. It had snowed during the night again, lightly, just enough to cleanse the ground of the sooty mush and replace it with a virgin blanket. It crunched under their feet as Lucy accompanied her father to the train station, where Natsu and Happy were waiting.

Jude's train was the first to depart from the modest station. It was already there when they arrived, a train that was to carry coal to Magnolia, along with just a few passengers. It looked like Jude's only companion was a man in a worn gray suit, who boarded the train without hesitation.

"There you are," Natsu said when he saw them. "We were worried you wouldn't make it on time."

"You've got no room to talk about punctuality," Lucy remarked dryly.

"What are you talking about? I didn't puncture anything this time. All I destroyed was a door!"

Lucy shook her head and turned to her father. "You're sure you'll be alright? Remember, go to Makarov, not Raijinshuu Castle. I don't know if they've rebuilt yet. Fairy Tail is probably your best bet to find Fried."

"I know, darling, we've gone over it," Jude said. "You've even given me directions. I'll find my way."

They embraced once more as the train whistled. "Be safe," Jude said. As he passed Natsu, he shook his hand. "You too, Salamander. Take care of her."

"I will," the Dragonslayer said with a nod. Jude boarded the train with one last wave. The doors shut behind him, and, with all passengers aboard, it began to roll away, down the tracks and around the bend, disappearing into the tall trees of the East Forest.

Lucy heaved a sigh and glanced at Natsu, smiling. "So," she asked, "where to now?"

"I don't know," Natsu replied with a grin. He took Lucy's hand. "Wherever we end up, I guess. Any suggestions, Happy?"

The cat flew up and spun around in a circle, pointing his blue paw in a random direction. "That a-way!"

"Aye!" Lucy and Natsu agreed. The trio began to walk toward their new adventure, unaware of what awaited them, but content with the knowledge that, whatever it was, they could always count on each other to face it together.

And, from those first footsteps on, they lived happily ever after.

**THE END.**


End file.
